You may be telecommuting and your children are home from school.  How do you keep your children occupied, engaged, and learning during this pandemic, and remain productive yourself?  Here are a few ideas.

• The Des Moines Public Library as well as other local libraries are a great resource to rent e-books and audiobooks, stream movies and TV, learn new skills, and more. This can all be done online. Cowles Library is also physically closed, but all electronic resources are available remotely.
• The dsm4kids website has a number of online learning resources from reading and vocabulary to math and history for children of all ages.
• USA TODAY and CNET shared a variety of online learning resources for pre-K-12 children. It includes sites such as Scholastic and PBS.

Try to create a daily schedule to help your children have a routine.  Some of the activities should be educational — your child’s formal structured educational assignments or the online educational resources mentioned above.

Mix in fun activities.  Depending on the child’s age it could include board or video games, streaming movies, baking, arts and crafts, or any outside the box ideas. Also, alternate between busy and quiet activities.

Even with social distancing, it is important for everyone to go outside for some fresh air and physical activity.  Families can spend time safely outdoors, maintaining safe distances.

When the day is done, maintain a regular sleep schedule.  Don’t let your children stay up too late or sleep in.  This will help them keep a routine.

For more information on ways to stay healthy, and tips for working remotely, please visit drake.edu/coronavirus and click on the Health & Wellness Guide from HR found in the Human Resources section of this page.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Drake ITS is continuously working to better protect University computers and confidential information. As part of these efforts, we are changing how vendor security patches are applied to Drake-owned Windows computers.

Microsoft releases security patches monthly to fix exploitable flaws. In order for the patches to be fully applied, the device being patched must be restarted afterwards. While devices remind you to restart, you can currently restart on your own schedule. This has resulted in some Drake-owned computers going unpatched for long periods of time.

Beginning April 20, ITS will configure Drake-owned computers running Windows to provide additional restart reminders after patches are applied, with options to restart immediately or schedule another time. While the exact appearance and wording may vary based on your operating system version, the below screenshots show the general notification and settings. While working from home or other off-campus locations, the notification and restart process may be delayed or suspended until the computer returns to the campus network.

If the restart doesn’t happen within two days of the patch installation, your Windows computer will restart automatically between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. If it’s asleep during that time, it will restart when you wake it up.

The best way to avoid disruption or lost work is to restart your computer when initially prompted, or schedule a restart at a more convenient time within the two-day grace period.

If you have any questions about these changes, please reach out to me.

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS

Only one week left to turn in nominations for the Madelyn M. Levitt Employee Excellence and Distinguished Community Service Awards. All nominations are due to Human Resources by Tuesday, March 31.

Madelyn M. Levitt established the Distinguished Community Service Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of Drake faculty and staff to the Drake community. Recipients are chosen on the following criteria:

• A demonstrated personal commitment to volunteerism and community service.
• An outstanding record of leadership or substantial involvement in community projects, services and activities contributing to the quality of life in our region, state and/or the nation.
• Professional and personal values and behavior that typify the ideals of “giving back to others” and “making a difference in the lives of others.”
• The nominee must be a current faculty or staff member with at least five years of service at Drake.

The Employee Excellence Award is presented to a staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in the performance of their duties. Criteria for the award include:

• Exceptional performance as an employee of Drake University
• Outstanding dedication to providing courteous, prompt and quality service.
• Demonstrated commitment to University programs, initiatives and services.
• Professional values and behavior that demonstrate exceptional service to others and a commitment to Drake University
• The nominee must be a current staff member with at least one year of service at Drake.

To nominate a colleague, submit a letter of nomination to the Levitt Award Committee, care of (c/o) Human Resources. Nomination letters may be sent through campus mail or electronically to drakehr@drake.edu. The letter should detail specific examples of how the nominee exemplifies each of the applicable criteria. Additional letters of support are not necessary.

The screening committee will review all nominations and make appropriate recommendations to the President’s Council.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Three winners received prizes at the Provost’s Drake Social on Tuesday, March 10. Their names were drawn at random from among those who were recognized by colleagues for their Commitment to Mission. Winners are:

• Shannon Hilscher – Premier parking for one month
• Cole Neary – $30 gift card to St. Kilda
• Aimee Lane – Snack break for the office

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

Drake’s All Staff Council Recognition Committee recognized staff at the Harkin Institute with a Bulldog Applause. Read the Q&A below to learn more about the Harkin Institute.

How many staff members are in the department?   
Seven full-time staff, 15 student employees, plus our honorary Harkinistas, political papers archivist Hope Bibens and senior advancement officer Stephanie Sinovic. 

What is the primary function of the team? Do you have a mission/vision/motto?  
At The Harkin Institute, our mission is to inform citizens, inspire creative cooperation, and catalyze change on issues of social justice, fairness, and opportunity. We conduct research and analysis in four policy areas that Senator Harkin (retired) focused on during his 40 years in Congress: labor and employment, people with disabilities, retirement security, and wellness and nutrition. We also host events to engage the Drake community, Iowans, Americans and individuals around the world with important policy issues and timely topics. 

Who has been with the team the longest, and what is their job title and length of employment?  
The Harkin Institute is young—we were established at Drake in 2013. Executive Director Joseph Jones has been with the Institute since August 2016.  

Who is the newest team member, and what is their job title and month/year of start?  
Our newest team member is Meg Johnson, our administrative assistant. She joined us in April 2019. 

What campus buildings do your team members “live” in?   
We currently live in the strip mall along University Avenue, next to Great Clips and across the street from Jimmy Johns, but we have a new home under construction at the corner of University Avenue and 28th Street. It will be a state-of-the-art accessible space that we can’t wait to share with the Drake community. 

What are some recent challenges and accomplishments of note that others in the University might not know about?  
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, monumental civil rights legislation. Senator Harkin was the principal author of the ADA and we have a whole host of events and activities planned to celebrate this important anniversary – on campus, online, and across the U.S. 

Anything else noteworthy/interesting/special about your department that bears mentioning?  
The Harkin Institute works closely with the Drake Archives and Special Collections, which is home to the papers of Senator Harkin and Ruth Harkin. Senator Harkin’s papers arrived at Drake in 2015 and include more than 800 boxes and 2.5 terabytes of legislative and campaign materials, photos, and memorabilia. 

— Amelia Klatt, On behalf of All Staff Council