Apply now to become a presenter at the Spring 2022 Registered Student Organizations Presidents’ Summit on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 4 p.m. in the Olmsted Center.
Student Life is seeking presenters to educate student leaders on a topic that will benefit them and the campus community. Applications will be reviewed and selected by Student Life staff. Proposals are due by Jan. 7 at 5 p.m.
Find more details and the application form.
— Isaac Newsome, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership
In the September HR Monthly email, we reminded employees that as a not-for-profit Drake University is a qualifying employer for public service loan forgiveness (PSLF). Employees who have Federal Direct Loans and have made at minimum 120 payments on the Federal Direct Loans (after Oct. 1, 2007) may be eligible for the remaining loan balance to be forgiven. Only payments made under certain repayment plans may be counted toward the required 120 payments, and loans must not be in default to be forgiven.
Last month, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) expanded the types of loans and loan payments that count toward that 120 payment total. The DOE is calling the temporary expansion the “Limited PSLF Waiver” program. The waiver program will temporarily relax several rules governing the PSLF program.
Previously, only Direct federal student loans, and certain types of repayment plans based on a borrower’s income, would count towards a borrower’s student loan forgiveness term under PSLF. However, for most of 2022, the DOE will count past payments on non-Direct federal student loans, such as FFEL loans and Perkins loans (previously not eligible for PSLF relief), towards the 120 “qualifying” payments that a borrower must make to get student loan forgiveness.
The Limited PSLF Waiver will also allow payments made under any repayment plan to count as well; previously, only payments made under income-driven repayment plans and a 10-year Standard plan could qualify.
Visit a page explaining the PSLF form. Access the most current version of the form (expiring 08/31/2023).
Maureen in Human Resources can complete page two and sign it on behalf of Drake. If you want to complete the form you have three easy options to get HR’s assistance:
If you have outstanding student loans and think there is even a possibility that you could qualify for the loan forgiveness program, we encourage you to look into this opportunity for loan forgiveness. For more information, visit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness information on the Federal Student Aid website.
— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources
Please join the department of Physics and Astronomy for a unique event on Saturday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Drake Municipal Observatory that combines classical guitar music and astronomy. The event, which is free and open to the public, will consist of a classical guitar concert by members of the Heart of Iowa Classical Guitar Society (HICGS) and a tour of the historical Observatory. Classical and contemporary works for guitar will be performed. We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Drake Municipal Observatory opening and the 10th anniversary of the HICGS foundation. Everyone is welcome to join in an evening of music and science. The Drake Municipal Observatory is located at 4898 Observatory Road in Des Moines.
— Athan Petridis, Physics and Astronomy
Dust off your old clothes and bring them to the Drake Environmental Action League’s Clothing Swap on Dec. 3 from 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. in Parents Hall. We will be accepting donations of clothing and accessories in good condition. Each item will be worth one DEAL Dollar, which can be redeemed for other clothing and accessories, each worth one DEAL Dollar. DEAL Dollars may also be purchased for $1 each with all proceeds going to local non-profits. Extra clothing items will be donated to Central Iowa Shelter and Services, Dress for Success, Animal Lifeline, and more.
Email deal@drake.edu with any questions. Hope to see you there.
As a reminder, J-Term 2023 travel seminar proposals are due Thursday, Dec. 2, through Qualtrics.
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.
To submit a proposal, visit: drake.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cIRcgl8JH4b6n1Y.
— Nathan Jacobson, Global Engagement
As we’ve shared in prior OnCampus articles, one of our focus areas this year is to attend to our culture. This is based on feedback from the Great Colleges To Work For survey and given that we are adjusting to working in an ongoing pandemic.
We recently invited all of campus to participate in focus groups to discuss ideas of how to attend to our culture and what’s possible yet this academic year. Through these sessions, we were able to gain valuable insights and feedback as to what’s important and possible. Thank you to those that participated!
As a summary, here’s what we discussed and discovered:
As there are many ways to tactically implement the above, we’ll be reviewing these outcomes of the focus groups at an upcoming President’s Council meeting and circling back with both managers/supervisors and all of campus on specific next steps.
In the months ahead, you’ll start to see more opportunities to engage in our culture and be a part of making Drake a great place to work. Speaking of, here’s a great example!
Thanks for reading and all you do to attend to our culture.
— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources, and Nate Reagen, President’s Office
The Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) was started over 40 years ago to provide financial support to promote and advance the field of behavior analysis. The three primary manners by which SABA achieves this are (a) supporting students, (b) globally promoting the science, and (c) providing a platform of recognition for our most impactful and inspiring leaders.
2022 SABA Awards
Each year, SABA recognizes five distinguished individuals or institutions of our field by honoring them and their impact with awards. The opening ceremony of the 2022 Association for Behavior Analysis International convention in Boston will recognize and celebrate these outstanding individuals and institutions and their accomplishments:
Deisy de Souza for Distinguished Service
Steve Higgins for Scientific Translation
Vincent Carbone for International Dissemination
Martha Hübner for Effective Presentation in Mass Media
Drake University for Enduring Programmatic Contributions
We congratulate each of these awardees for their sustained energy and efforts in promoting the field of behavior analysis. Read SABA’s full announcement.
— Maria Valdovinos, Professor of Psychology
Last week, new printers were installed in Medbury Hall, Cline Hall, and the Occupational Therapy building. Our staff is working hard to match up the number and type of machines that are delivered with the machines needed in a given area. We try to replace all department/building machines simultaneously to avoid any confusion from using both old and new printers, but this is made more challenging by ongoing supply chain issues.
Our partners at LRI continue to coordinate installation and training with department contacts as machines arrive. Our project team will continue to adjust our rollout schedule whenever machines arrive and update the list at Printer Locations (FAQ).
Get instructions on how to use the features of the new printers in the Printing category of our IT service portal. Learn more about the overall printing project by visiting our FAQ page at drake.edu/its/printing/.
— Kris Brewster, ITS
Drake Men’s Basketball will host Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night on Saturday, Nov. 20, when they take on Richmond at 12 p.m.
Each faculty and staff member can receive up to four complimentary tickets. Redeem your tickets.
For more information on all Faculty and Staff Appreciation days, visit DrakeTix.com/facultyandstaffdays. Please remember that per Drake University policy, masks are required in the Knapp Center.
— Aimee Lane, Athletics
An objective of Drake’s Continuous Improvement Plan is to “Elevate Service Excellence”. The Survey of Administrative Services (SAS) directly supports our continuous improvement in this area. The feedback helps Facilities Planning and Management understand where service gaps may exist and how to improve our services to the University.
Survey respondents provided largely positive feedback about FPM services. Responses were provided on a five-point scale, with five being the highest.
Satisfaction with FPM staff – Total Average 4.38 (4.41 last year)
Respondents assessed their satisfaction with FPM staff including their courtesy, professionalism, knowledge, timeliness, resolution of issues and communication regarding work orders and projects.
FPM Staff are courteous – 4.82
FPM Staff are professional – 4.74
FPM Staff are knowledgeable – 4.62
FPM Staff respond to requests in a timely manner – 4.26
FPM staff provide regular communication about the status of my request – 3.96
FPM keeps me aware of projects or construction that will impact my work – 3.86
Satisfaction with services provided by FPM – Total Average 4.48 (4.50 last year)
Respondents assessed their satisfaction with the services FPM staff provide for all campus buildings and grounds.
Moving – 4.72
Carpentry – 4.66
Custodial – 4.62
Grounds – 4.61
Electrical – 4.57
Painting – 4.57
Plumbing – 4.51
Trash/Recycling – 4.43
Snow Removal – 4.35
Capital Projects – 4.18
Cooling and Heating – 4.09
Overall satisfaction with FPM —Total Average 4.13 (4.39 last year)
Overall satisfaction is above average, slightly down from the previous year. FPM has opportunities for improvement and we are actively developing strategies to improve our services and overall quality. The preservation of historic buildings can be demanding when maintaining and updating mechanical systems. It is our goal to heat and cool to establish a comfortable environment, but understand the capacity of the system along with individual preferences. Moving forward we promise to continue to service all customer needs on campus through collaboration and communication.
In reviewing the data and reflecting on the comments provided by the respondents, we make the following commitments.
FPM will:
FPM has been working on updating websites to better deliver communications. This, coupled with more direct reporting, we anticipate that we can booster our lower administrative service areas. Please visit:
https://www.drake.edu/sustainability/
— Kevin Moran, Executive Director Facilities Planning and Management
