All posts by Marlene Heuertz

HR Information Archive

Action required: Annual open enrollment period

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. 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 (OB/GYN) as a co-care provider must contact Wellmark Customer Service at 800-362-2230.

How to select a PCP:

Step one: Selecting a PCP consists of a two-step process.  First, you must obtain the required information from Wellmark’s website.  This brief video demonstrates how to search for a PCP, and locate his/her enrollment identification number and organization name.  If you already have a PCP, you may visit  wellmark.com/finder to determine whether he/she is a PCP in the Blue Choice Network.  Should you have questions about how to access information on the Wellmark website, call Wellmark Customer Service at 800-362-2230.

Step two: Once you have chosen a PCP, you must record his/her required information in the Benefits Portal.  This video demonstrates how to enter the information in the Benefits Portal. Instructions detailing this process can be found here. It is important to note co-care provider (OB/GYN) information cannot be entered in the Benefits Portal. To learn more about designating a PCP, see these frequently asked questions.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Holiday payment processing schedule

Please note the following schedule for payment processing through Accounts Payable to accommodate winter break.

  • Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020 – All payment requests (including wires) are due to Accounts Payable by the end of the business day.  Requests received by this deadline will be processed for payment before Winter Break.
  • Monday, Jan. 4, 2021 – Normal payment processing will resume this week.

The accounts payable office will be closed during winter break.

Thank you for your help in coordinating to ensure we meet all needs during the upcoming season.

Please contact Jeni Baugher, accounting supervisor, at ext. 4509 or jenifer.baugher@drake.edu with any questions.

— Jeni Baugher, Accounting

For Faculty Archive

J-Term 2022 travel seminar proposals due Nov. 6

A reminder to submit your proposal to lead a J-Term 2022 travel seminar by Friday, Nov. 6, 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.

Submit a proposal or review the proposal process

For questions, contact Maria Rohach, director of education abroad, at maria.rohach@drake.edu.

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Major update coming to campus phones in January

ITS is upgrading the campus phone system and moving faculty and staff to using Microsoft Teams for calling in early 2021. The Microsoft Teams client will replace traditional handsets and allow faculty and staff to make and receive telephone calls using their office extension from anywhere they are connected to the Internet.

To prepare for this change, ITS will be distributing headsets to employees who haven’t already received one. Watch your email for a Qualtrics survey request to let ITS know your headset choice. Please complete the survey by Nov. 20. Headsets will be distributed through campus mail prior to the Thanksgiving break and can be used for online meetings and internal calls before the phone system changes next year.

Additional information on headset options can be found at ITS Recommended Phone Headsets (FAQ).

Want to learn more about using Microsoft Teams for calling? See Using Microsoft Teams for Phone Calls and Voicemail (How-to).

— Chris Mielke, ITS

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Call for proposals: FY22 Global Partnership Grant

Description: Drake University has established formal partnerships with multiple institutions abroad. Joint faculty and staff projects with our global partner institutions may be eligible for financial support through the Global Partnership Grants. Contact Hannah Sappenfield at hannah.sappenfield@drake.edu for more information or to get connected with a global partner institution.

Eligibility and criteria: Full-time faculty and staff members are eligible to apply for Global Partnership Grants for activities taking place during FY22. Preference will be given to proposals that:

  • identify a specific set of activities with distinct outcomes with one (or more) of our partner institutions
  • demonstrate specific impact on Drake curriculum, students and current global partnerships
  • advance Drake’s global engagement with existing partners in new ways
  • support involvement by individuals who have not previously been globally engaged
  • are financially supported by the school, college, or department of the individual submitting the proposal
  • align with internationally or globally focused unit objectives and/or the University’s Continuous Improvement Plan

Application process:

  1. Discuss the proposed activity with your unit Director or Dean prior to submission to help determine its strategic value and if it aligns with the unit’s global engagement priorities. The discussion will help determine the unit’s interest and ability to support the proposal with financial resources.
  2. Submit the online application via Qualtrix, which includes a description and budget (*see note) for the proposed activity. Deadline: December 18, 2020
  3. Deans/Directors will review all proposals for their unit with the Global Partnerships Coordinator and the Executive Director of Global Engagement for prioritization and to make collaborative funding decisions. Final award decisions will be announced in February 2021.

*Global Engagement grant funds are not typically awarded for stipends for Drake faculty and staff; however, stipend requests may be considered for funding by your unit’s Dean/Director on a case-by-case basis. The College of Arts & Sciences will not fund stipends.

Travel restrictions: At this time, any travel outside of Iowa on behalf of the University is currently suspended, unless deemed critical and approved by the senior administrator in your area. This policy applies to all University-sponsored travel, including international, academic, athletic, conferences, and workshops, and research-related travel, and will continue until further notice. Although grant funds may be awarded for travel purposes, these funds may not be expended until the University’s travel restrictions have been lifted.

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Partnerships Coordinator

HR Information Archive

De-stress course begins Nov. 9

COVID-19 and other events surrounding 2020 have contributed to increased anxiety and stress.  We may not be able to eliminate the stressors, but there are resources to address the stress.  Here is an upcoming program you may wish to check out.

Drake has collaborated with CoreBuilt Wellness to bring you a 10-Day series to support you in managing the stress in your life. This program runs Nov. 9–20.

Participants will receive one weekday email with a short video on a stress relief technique, access to additional videos, an optional daily accountability text message from the CoreBuilt coaching team, and a chance to win prizes (including a Hy-Vee gift card) just for participating.

To register for this free 10-day De-Stress challenge, please send an email to Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu by Friday, Nov. 6.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Staff Archive

All Staff Council book club

The University Book Club will continue to meet virtually through the 2020–2021 academic year. We like to read four books together each year, usually scheduled for a casual discussion around the “breaks” during the year.  Our books and meeting times for this year are listed below. Please reach out to sara.heijerman@drake.edu or dan.chibnall@drake.edu if you would like to participate in any of these discussions, or would like to join our email notification list.

  • The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore – November 30 at 4:30 p.m.
  • Anxious People by Fredrik Backman – January 27 at 4:30 p.m.
  • Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb – March 31 at 4:30 p.m.
  • Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi – June 7 at 4:30 p.m.

— Amelia Klatt, Alumni Relations/All Staff Council

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