All posts by Amelia Klatt

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

All Staff Council Bulldog Applause: The President’s Office

This month, the All Staff Council Recognition Committee would like to highlight the staff of The President’s Office.

How many staff members are in the department?  Just three: Marty, Cheryle, and Nate.

What is the primary function of the team? Our primary function is to support the President in any way we can.

Who has been with the team the longest, and what is their job title and length of employment? Cheryle Anania! She is the Assistant to the President and has been here longer than Marty & Nate as she has been at Drake since April 2012.

Who is the newest team member, and what is their job title and month/year of start?  Nate started at Drake in his current role as Chief of Staff in November of 2016. Nate also worked with Drake before that as a consultant starting in 2015.

What campus buildings do your team members “live” in?  We are all normally in Old Main 211, but with the pandemic we’re a mix of working at home and in the office.

What are some recent challenges and accomplishments of note that others in the University might not know about?  There’s so much to talk about here. Just drive down University Avenue to see all the progress.  You’ll notice the new development across from Old Main, the Home2 Suites hotel and future retail, the new Harkin Institute, streetscape improvements, and the new Kum & Go gas station. Whew! On campus, we’re proud to launch the new Bright college all while keeping up with the challenges the pandemic has thrown our way. At the time of this writing, our COVID-19 case numbers are relatively low; which represents a mountain of work by so many. We’re proud of what’s been accomplished in this “unique” semester.

Anything else noteworthy/interesting/special about your department that bears mentioning?  We’re fortunate that we all have a similar outlook on things: we don’t get too distressed regardless of what gets thrown at us. From unexpected visitors at the President’s Office, to boisterous phone calls, to all the issues Marty has to handle—we deal with what’s in front of us. It’s a good team.

— Amelia Klatt, Alumni Relations/All Staff Council

HR Information Archive

Annual open enrollment period—Action required

If you are planning to participate in Drake’s Health Plan during 2021, you must designate a Primary Care Provider (PCP) for yourself and all dependents enrolled in the Plan. Designating a PCP promotes the establishment of a long-term relationship with a health care provider who:

  • understands your health needs
  • maintains your medical records
  • assists with a wide range of medical conditions, and
  • refers you to other in-network providers when necessary

Each covered member may select a different PCP from Wellmark’s list of general or family practice physicians, internists and pediatricians.  Female members who wish to designate an obstetrician or gynecologist as a co-care provider must contact Wellmark Customer Service at 800-362-2230.

To ensure your claims process correctly, you will need to designate a PCP before seeking care.  If you do not select a PCP during the open enrollment period, you will still have access to coverage.  However, if Wellmark receives a claim for preventive services without a PCP on file, the claim will pend and then be denied.  You may add a PCP at any time; the designation will become effective the first of the month following the addition.

We have prepared a brief video showing you how to obtain the information necessary to designate your PCP in the Benefits Portal.  If you have a current PCP, you may also visit wellmark.com/finder to obtain his/her enrollment identification number and organization name.  Should you have questions about this process, please contact Wellmark Customer Service at 800-362-2230.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Innovation and Creativity Week Nov. 9–13

Nov. 9–13 is Innovation and Creativity week. We have adjusted our schedule and pared back some events this semester. If you’re interested in learning more about The Bark Tank or the Lorentzen Hatchery pitch events, be sure to keep an eye out because we’ll be bringing those back in the Spring 2021 semester during National Entrepreneurship Week, February 13–20, 2021.

Careers in Social Change: Social Entrepreneurship
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 4–5 p.m., virtual event
In this panel series, you’ll hear from professionals who use their careers to create social change. In this session, panelists will present on the topic of social entrepreneurship. You’ll have the opportunity to network with local experts, too! Register.

Learn about Letterpress printing
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 9–11 a.m., virtual event
Professor Sarah McCoy will demonstrate live letterpress printing. The prints will be available on campus on Thursday, Nov. 12. Join via Zoom Meeting.

Learn how to use the equipment in the Innovation Studio
Wednesday, Nov. 11, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., live event (registration required)
Sign up to join Professor Chris Snider during Innovation Hours to learn how to use the equipment, and you can come back later to finish your projects. Sign up here.

For the rest of the week, in keeping with social distancing safety, we encourage you to take some time to to visit online spaces that may spur your creativity: 

  • The Drake University Anderson Gallery now has a YouTube Channel where you can watch live streamed events, videos of past artist talks, conversations with artists, demonstrations and workshops. Click here to launch art education at work!
  • Take a virtual tour of the Des Moines Art Center. Virtual tours of their permanent collections allow visitors to click through the extensive collections as if they were at the museum, walking through the galleries. We highly recommend the Black Stories tour if you have not had the opportunity to see it in person. 
  • Check out a TEDTalk – learn how to spark your own creativity or innovative side. After viewing a few of these, do you want to give a TEDTalk and what would you discuss? TEDx is coming back to Des Moines in May 2021. 
  • The Des Moines Symphony has a new program, DMSO at Home. This project is aimed at connecting with our community online through videos, livestreamed concerts, and more.
  • Put a mask on a cryptid. Draw or download a picture of your favorite cryptid (Bigfoot, the Moth Man, the Loch Ness Monster, etc. or pick a character from popular culture) and then draw or use collage to put a mask on them. Would they wear a surgical mask? A fabric one with flowers? Or try something different and create a zentangle. Just be creative and have fun. If you want to share your ideas with us, tag us on social media (Instagram: @drakeinnovation or @drakeeship; Twitter: @drakeinnovation or @eshipdrake). 

 Questions? Email us at innovation@drake.edu. Want to be updated on other events that the Innovation Studio hosts? Be sure to sign up for our newsletter.

— Stephanie Cardwell, Buchanan Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership

For Faculty Archive

“Facilitating Intercultural Learning” 12-week training and coaching program

The Nelson Institute at Drake University invites applications for the spring 2021 “Facilitating Intercultural Learning” program, a development opportunity for select faculty focused on building the intercultural capacity of our campus community.  The endeavor is designed to create intercultural self-awareness and to prepare faculty to begin integrating intercultural learning into their courses, programming, or other work. It is a 12-week cohort training and coaching program to be offered each semester. The first cohort was launched in Fall 2020. This initiative will allow Drake to continue to foster intercultural learning and development in service to our students and our local, national, and international constituents.

The Facilitating Intercultural Learning program is designed to help participants engage more effectively with difference by developing four core intercultural competencies:

  1. Increasing awareness and understanding of their own characteristic ways of making meaning and acting in familiar and unfamiliar contexts;
  2. Increasing awareness and understanding of others’ ways of making meaning and acting in familiar and unfamiliar contexts;
  3. Responding mindfully in contexts that disorient or challenge them;
  4. Bridging cultural gaps in those contexts: Shifting perspective, attuning emotions, and adapting behaviour in effective and appropriate ways.

Read more about the program, the curriculum, and view testimonials from others who have completed the program.

The Nelson Institute plans to sponsor a cohort of up to six faculty during the Spring 2021 semester in fulfillment of this initiative. Participating faculty will receive a $1,000 stipend upon completing the program and will be designated Nelson Fellows.

The spring program will begin on January 5, 2021. Interested faculty should send a brief expression of interest to Professor Jimmy Senteza (Jimmy.Senteza@drake.edu), Director of the Nelson Institute, by 12 p.m. on Nov. 25, 2020. Please highlight how you think this might benefit your work at Drake University, and contribute to your overall intercultural development. If you applied and were not selected for this opportunity in Fall 2020, you may re-apply or indicate that you would like your application to be reconsidered.

— Jimmy Senteza, College of Business & Public Administration

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Stay safe while shopping online

With everyone staying home and buying household essentials and gifts online, it’s even more important to pay attention to shopping safely online:

  • Shop at sites you know and trust
  • Keep an eye on your credit cards and account statements and watch for suspicious purchases
  • Be sure to shop using a network that you know is secure

For more cybersecurity shopping tips, check out this guide from the National Cybersecurity Alliance.

ITS will continue to simulate phishing and assign training to those most at risk. If you’d like to discuss any information security issues, please feel free to reach out to ITS or email informationsecurity@drake.edu.

— Information Security, ITS

Campus Announcements Archive

Mark your calendars: International Education Week 2020

Join us virtually Nov. 16–20 to celebrate Drake’s global engagement and international programs during International Education Week! Global and intercultural learning is a key objective of Drake’s Continuous Improvement Plan, supporting our mission of responsible global citizenship. Join in to discover more about Drake as a global institution. There will be events for students, faculty, and staff—with some of our partner institutions joining from around the world.

Mark your calendar for these featured events. A full list of #IEW2020 events is posted to the IE Week Calendar.

IE Week Photo Contest
Now open for submissions! Deadline: Nov. 9
Learn More

Town Hall: Global Engagement at Drake
Monday, Nov. 16, 9 a.m.
Learn More & Register

Drake & MUBS (Uganda) Virtual Exchange (students)
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 7 a.m.
Learn More & Register

Funding for Global Projects (faculty/staff)
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 10 a.m.
Learn More & Register

International Trivia
Tuesday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m.
Learn More & Register

Global Partner Spotlight: Kosovo
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 3 p.m.
Learn More & Register

Global Career Talks (students)
Thursday, Nov. 19, 4 p.m.
Learn More & Register

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Partnerships Coordinator

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Register for November Design Dialogue

Drake Online Design Dialogues provides the opportunity for faculty and staff to learn more about designing and delivering classes using Blackboard.  We have had over 50 faculty and staff attend at least one session.

The final meeting for this calendar year is Thursday, Nov. 19, at 11:30 a.m.  We will not have a topic this month, but rather allow participants to ask questions and help problem solve.  If you have specific questions or issues, please send those to christina.trombley@drake.edu and we will go over them together.

Register for November’s Design Dialogue. You will receive a confirmation with the Zoom link. We will continue these sessions again in January.

— Christina Trombley, Executive Director, Online Programming

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Blackboard Learn Ultra instructor orientation course Module 3 and sandboxes now available 

About Module 3: Module 3 is being released this week. This self-paced module is expected to take about one hour and is focused on the navigation of the new Ultra Course View. All Fall 2021 courses will be built using the Ultra Course View. 

As of this week, you should have Ultra course sandboxes available to you via your “Courses” list under the “Assorted Dates” area or under the “Sandboxes” group of courses. The names of these courses  follow this formula- Ultra Sandbox #: Drake ID. These sandboxes allow you to practice new features in the Ultra Course View. Please choose one of your sandbox courses to complete the “Things to Try on Your Own” sections of the orientation course (Module 3 and beyond). As you are learning your way around the Ultra Course View, the sandboxes provide you with a student-free working space so that you can begin developing and designing courses in the new look and feel.   

Need assistance with your Ultra sandbox courses? 
If the sandbox courses in Ultra course view are not showing in your Courses list, please request assistance by submitting a  Blackboard Site Creation request in the IT Service Portal. 

What’s Next? 
Next week, Module 4 will be released, and it will introduce new content creation features in the Ultra Course View.   

— Karly Good, ITS

HR Information Archive

Benefits open enrollment begins Oct. 30

The annual open enrollment period for Drake University benefits will begin Friday, Oct. 30, 2020. Initial enrollment information regarding Drake’s health, dental, voluntary life insurance and flexible spending account plans will be provided Friday via the DrakeHR email account. Benefit elections for the 2021 plan year must be made by 11:59 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30, 2020.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Log into the eduroam network with your Drake email address before Dec. 1

Although we’ve encouraged logging into our eduroam campus wireless network using your Drake email address, it hasn’t been required. This is changing on Dec. 1. In order to better maintain our network and to ensure that credentials are passed properly to access eduroam at other affiliated institutions, we are changing our network settings.

Following this change on Dec. 1, you will not be able to log into the eduroam network using your Drake ID and must use your Drake email address.

Later this week we will send emails to the students, faculty, and staff who are currently logged into eduroam using their Drake ID. These individuals need to forget their current network on any device where they are connected (see Forgetting a Wireless Network (How-To) if you need instructions), and log in again using their Drake email address. This should be done as soon as possible to avoid encountering issues on Dec. 1 or upon returning from winter break.

Need a reminder on how to log into eduroam? Follow the instructions at Connecting to the eduroam Wireless Network (How-to).

If you’re working, learning, or teaching entirely remotely, you’ll need to make this change when you return to the Drake campus.

— Chris Mielke, ITS