All posts by Linda Feiden

HR Information Archive

Holiday season well-being ideas and resources

December is National Stress-Free Family Holidays month.  Even in a non-pandemic year, that is a tall order. Parties, shopping, and the persistent checklist of demands which may have caused you stress last year has been replaced by the fear of getting COVID-19 and the isolation and loss of holiday traditions with those we love.

Although this year may look different, there are ways to safely adjust your traditions, or create new traditions. The more you can remain connected, while being apart, the more “normal” the holidays will feel.  Here are a few ideas.

Coordinate your holiday dinner schedule with long distance family members and chat with loved ones as you dine together, virtually, using a digital platform.

Digital platforms can also help you and your family connect while opening presents or celebrating other holiday traditions. In addition, it is a great tool to virtually play games, work on crafts, or watch a movie.

If your family lives close by, but is not part of your safe bubble, consider taking a walk outdoors, ice skating, or having a snowman making competition, while social distancing. Physical activity can boost your mood, lower your stress and has the added bonus of helping burn a few calories.

Remember, if you feel overwhelmed or stressed, slow down and focus on what you can control such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, getting enough sleep, following the CDC guidelines and limiting the amount of daily news while staying informed.

If you are taking steps to manage worry and anxiety, but they do not seem to be helping, there are additional resources available.  Employee & Family Resources offers a variety of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources to help you now, or anytime. You can reach EAP by phone (800-327-4692) or visit their website at https://www.efr.org/login/.  All EAP benefits are confidential and available 24/7/365.   

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive

Spring course adoptions deadline

The deadline for submitting Spring course material adoptions is approaching and the University Bookstore has a simple tool for you to use this adoption season: Follett Discover.

Follett Discover allows you to easily discover, research, and adopt course materials all in one place. In addition to adopting traditional print materials, Follett Discover makes it easy to search and adopt non-traditional materials such as YouTube videos or open educational resource content from provides such as Merlot, OpenStax, and Coursera.

To access Follett Discover:

  1. Log into myDrake.
  2. Click on the BlackBoard Icon under Commonly used Apps.
  3. Log into BlackBoard using your Drake ID and myDrake password.
  4. Find the Tools channel, scroll down and click the Follett Discover link or find the Follett Discover channel and click the Launch Discover link.
  5. Start discovering!

If you have any questions about the tool or how it works, I’m happy to help.

Email adoption submissions can also be accepted by emailing Derek Pollock at dpollock@follett.com with the course material information.

Watch a Follett Discover demo video to learn more.

— Kelly Foster, Finance & Administration

For Students Archive

Textbook rental return options

While your textbook rentals are not due yet, please make note of your rental return options. The University Bookstore will send you these instructions again 10–14 days before your due date and again three days before your due date.

Your rental books are due back to the University Bookstore, in-person or shipped via mail, by your rental due date. 

Return in-person:
Rental books can be returned to the University Bookstore inside the Olmsted Center anytime Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5pm. Note: Hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 23–25. Please have the phone number or patron ID number associated with your rental account available for efficient check-in.

Return by mail:
You can return your rental books by mail using the carrier of your choice. Please note: Shipping will be at your expense. We recommend using a trackable service.

Important: To ensure your rental returns are correctly processed to your rental account, follow the steps below to generate your rental packing slip. Your packing slip is crucial to include in your box. It identifies you, what you’re returning, and where to send your rentals.

  1. Sign into the University Bookstore website using the email you used to rent your textbook. If you forgot or haven’t set up a password, click “forgot password” to reset. Then click on My Account-Rentals.
  2. You will be directed to the “Rentals Page” in “My Account”.
  3. Scroll down to view “Rental History.” Click the “Return by Mail Button” or “Return all Rentals by Mail” link. A pop-up will open.
  4. Follow the steps to print your packing list. Print two copies, one to go in your box and the other to take to your shipping carrier as it has the store address.
  5. Take note of your tracking number.  You will receive an email confirmation when your rental return is processed.
  6. If the above steps do not work for you please write your name, email address, phone number, and patron id on a sheet of paper to include with your rental return package.

Please have your books postmarked by Dec. 11 to avoid any late fees. During this transit time, we have a shipping grace period to allow the additional time for delivery.

Please reach out to the University Bookstore with any questions by contacting Kyle McVay at kyle.mcvay@drake.edu or 515-274-3401.

For Students Archive

Call for papers: Spring 2021 edition of DUSSJ

The Drake Undergraduate Social Science Journal (DUSSJ) is now accepting submissions for its Spring 2021 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, 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.

The deadline for submission is Friday, Feb. 12, 2021.

No more than one submission per person will be considered. Submissions will be blind 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).

See drake.edu/dussj for additional information. Questions and submissions should be sent to the DUSSJ faculty advisor, Professor Heath Henderson, at advisor.dussj@gmail.com.

— Heath Henderson, Economics, CBPA

For Students Archive

PMAC info session

Learn more about the Peer Mentor Academic Consultant (PMAC) program, and how to be a vital part of the Welcome Week(end) experience. Join the Peer Advisory Board for our first informational session on Friday, Dec. 4, at 2 p.m. (CST) via Zoom. Register for the informational sessions at bit.ly/PMACInfoSesh.

Registration will close the morning of Dec. 4, and attendees will be emailed out the link.

Can’t make the session? Reach out to pab@drake.edu or go to drake.edu/…/peermentoracademicconsultantpm…/ to learn more.

— Kyle Tekautz, JO’22

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

November’s digital faculty member of the month: Jill Allen

Each month, a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate innovative technology into their classroom. November’s digital faculty member of the month is Jill Allen, assistant professor of psychology & neuroscience, College of Arts & Sciences. Read an interview with Jill:

What course do you use this technology in? Psychology 030: Social Psychology

What type of technology do you use? In-Class real-time polls, built into the University Zoom platform.

In what context do you use this technology? The polls operate as a type of formative assessment; they are graded based on completion and contribute to an overall amount of “participation” in the online course. These polls punctuate the lecture, by giving students active participation in constructing their knowledge, and then sharing their rationale with the class, via their mics.

How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy? I need students in this course to be active consumers of the social psychological concepts, and as such, these questions serve as a check point to prepare them for exams.

Where did you get the inspiration to make a change? I have been a polling enthusiast from my first introduction, thanks to colleagues Olga Lazareva in Psychology and Karly Good in ITS and dear friend and former colleague, Jaime Grandstaff in Accounting. My favorite polling software is PollEverywhere, and in the online context it is in Zoom. I enjoy the “real time” engagement – a step above and beyond the “looks of aha moments” on students’ faces (or conversely, sticking points of clarification/confusion), which are often missing in online classes, without all students having cameras turned on.

How long did it take for you to implement this technology? I began to use the polls in 2017, and became a “regular” on the helpline with the regional reps for Turning Point Technologies and our own Learning Management team on campus. After a few weeks, I would have considered myself a novice user and by the end of one semester, I felt confident in leveraging the technology. However, I have switched platforms several times, and each time, it is a new opportunity to learn/grow/compare/contrast with previous software. Importantly, and most interestingly, the goal never changes – but the medium and device does!

Since transitioning to remote teaching, how has your use of this technology changed, if at all? I was presented with an interesting dilemma regarding my go-to polling software, PollEverywhere. It has an online component, and it would have been possible to continue using it for Zoom synchronous lectures (students pay a modest yearly fee). On the other hand, teaching and learning online is a lot of change, so I opted to use the free/integrated features in Zoom. I like facilitating the discussions from within the same platform, and I think this creates more consistency and equity in experience for students who may be joining across many different types of devices.

Since transitioning to remote teaching, have you started using any new technology in your teaching? Interestingly, I had an experience last semester (pre-COVID) in which I noticed my students in this course were “in a rut.” Despite I love the polls and all they can offer; the class environment lacked the kind of energy and excitement as the start of the term provided. So, I walked into class, and presented a slide that said, “In a Rut? Let’s get unstuck…” in which I told students they would be working on a problem-based activity of cognitive dissonance on a shared Google doc (each group would have a different problem, but once complete they could review the class responses), that they would be numbered off so they worked with different folks than their usual table seating arrangements, and that the class collective responses would be the basis for a few new exam questions I would create. And you know what, IT WORKED! This type of collaborative activity is one I have adopted into Zoom breakouts, so that students can engage with peers in a structured way and I’m happy to have experimented with it in a F2F class setting.

Overall, what lessons do you think you have learned while transitioning to remote teaching? I think the biggest take-away from mid-March to now in a fully virtual setting for my classes, has been to create social connection. What I cannot control is how students engage with each other, but I can create a welcoming, warm, and humanizing environment in the way would have tried to create if we were in person. For instance, I use my camera for all synchronous lectures, try to share humorous anecdotes from my own life of teaching remotely and the oddities of COVID-life, and share reminders to seek balance and self-care, despite a pandemic that have been helpful for me and may be helpful for students, as well.

Did Drake ITS assist you in implementing any of these technologies? I would be remiss to not share gratitude for the tireless support of Karly Good in ITS. She has answered my early morning and late-night emails, phone calls, formal ticket requests, and connected me with colleagues on campus with similar teaching goals/pedagogies. This summer I took advantage of the Center for Teaching Excellence consultation opportunities, and gained excellent insight from Bill Klein, in Drake Online & Continuing Education, about making the “leap” between Blackboard Collaborate and Zoom. I also received generous support from the A&S Dean’s Office to fund a better remote-teaching setup, as well – all of which, helped me to bring the best “online” version of myself to the classroom that is possible.

Are you interested in trying out new technology in your classroom? Want help from ITS? Schedule a technology adoption consultation.

Want to learn more about using Blackboard Collaborate, PollEverywhere or Zoom in your course? Explore these knowledge base guides/categories:

Blackboard Collaborate:
https://drake.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2025/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=45313&SIDs=5893

PollEverywhere: https://drake.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2025/Portal/KB/ArticleDet?ID=63097&SIDs=2012

Zoom:
 https://drake.teamdynamix.com/TDClient/2025/Portal/KB/?CategoryID=18578&SIDs=7847

— Jon Hurdelbrink, CPHS, and Carla Herling, ITS

HR Information Archive

Stretch your benefit dollars with a Drake FSA

Enrollment Instructions. Drake’s annual open enrollment period for the 2021 Plan Year ends Monday, Nov. 30, at 11:59 p.m. Per IRS regulations, employees wishing to participate in Drake’sFlexible Spending Account (FSA) Plans must make a new election each Plan Year. Annual enrollment elections should be made for expenses incurred during the 2021 Plan Year.

Tax Savings. Participating in a flexible spending account (FSA) helps you save money by allowing you to set aside pre-tax dollars through automatic payroll deduction. Your pre-tax dollars may be used to pay for eligible health, dental, vision and dependent care expenses. See an example of how an employee’s take-home pay increases with participation in an FSA Plan.

Contribution Limits. Allowable contribution amounts for the 2021 Plan Year remain unchanged.

Health Care FSA Plan:
— Minimum Amount: $120
— Maximum Amount: $2,750

Dependent Care FSA Plan:
— Minimum Amount: $300
— Maximum Amount: $5,000

Carry Over Feature. Participants in Drake’s Health Care FSA Plan may carry over up to $550 of unused contributions to the 2021 Plan Year. Current Plan Year FSA participants may check account balances by calling Advantage Administrators (800-383-1623) or visiting advantageadmin.com.

How Does the Carry Over Feature Work? During the 2020 Plan Year, Jane contributes $2,750 to her Health Care FSA. Throughout the plan year, she is reimbursed a total of $2,150 for eligible expenses. Jane chooses to carry $550 of unused contributions to the 2021 Plan Year, resulting in the forfeiture of the remaining $50. Jane elects to contribute the maximum contribution amount of $2,750 for the 2021 Plan Year, in addition to the $550 carry over amount. She now has a total of $3,300 available during the 2021 Plan Year.

Health Care FSA2020 Plan YearCarry Over Amount2021 Plan Year
Election Amount$2750 $2750
Reimbursed Amount$2150
Unused Contribution Amount$600$550$ 550
New Account Balance$0$0$3300

If you choose not to make a new Health Care FSA election during the annual open enrollment period, you may still carry over up to $550 of unused contributions to the 2021 Plan Year. Advantage Administrators will automatically carry remaining balances up to $550 to the new plan year. Estimated tax savings may be computed with Advantage Administrator’s benefit plan calculator.

Debit Cards. Health Care FSA participants must request to receive a debit (VISA) card on their enrollment form. Previously issued debit cards will be reactivated by Advantage Administrators per participant request on the enrollment form. Learn more about Drake’s FSA Plans.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources



Campus Announcements Archive

ITS support center and tech assistance hours

Even though the support center in the lower level of Carnegie Hall is closed for walk-in visitors through at least the start of the spring semester, ITS is still available to help with your tech needs.

You can always call 515-271-3001 or browse for guides or submit a request for assistance at our service portal at service.drake.edu/its.

When ITS staff are unavailable, whether during holiday breaks or in the evenings, we have after-hours support answering our main number 24/7 at 515-271-3001. They are not able to assist with every tech problem, but can always open requests on your behalf that will be responded to when ITS staff return.

To be sure you’re reaching an ITS technician if you call the support center, see the schedule below:

  • We will be closed Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 25–27, for the Thanksgiving holiday.
  • After Thanksgiving through the end of the semester, regular hours will be Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. except for Dec. 16–18 when the lower level of Carnegie Hall will be deep cleaned and all ITS staff will be working remotely.
  • Holiday break begins Dec. 21 and runs through Friday, Jan. 1.
  • Starting Jan. 4 through the end of J-Term, hours will be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

— Carla Herling, ITS