All posts by Becca Widmer

For Students Archive

Work remotely with Phonathon

Drake Phonathon is hiring for the Fall semester. Looking for employment that will develop the communication and interpersonal skills employers are looking for? Want to build connections with alumni and members of the Drake community? Apply to be a Remote Engagement Ambassador at Phonathon. We offer amazing scheduling, flexibility, and the ability to work remotely from your dorm or home. We are looking for dedicated students who want to have an impact on our Bulldog community. To apply, contact Liz.Seffrin@drake.edu.

— Becca Widmer, University Advancement

HR Information Archive

Walktober Step Challenge

Last year, Drake won the Walktober Step Challenge with Des Moines University (DMU) and Wesley Life, and took temporary ownership of the traveling trophy. To keep the trophy on campus another year, we need to defend our title.

Join the Drake team and help us retain our championship status. You will receive a journal and instructions to track your daily steps both on and off campus during the month of October. Any movement that records steps counts, including walking, working in the yard, and fitness classes. Along the way, you will receive fun facts and have a chance to win individual prizes. 

This event is open to all faculty, staff, and students. To register, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu. The registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 25.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Faculty and staff flu shot clinics

Human Resources has purchased 300 doses of flu vaccine to be provided at no cost to faculty and staff and administered by Drake CPHS student pharmacists and pharmacist faculty members.

Flu shot clinics will be held during morning hours on Oct. 5, 7, 9, and 12. Those who wish to participate must register for an appointment online.

New this year, the employee flu clinic will be held in a “drive-up” format in Lot 2 across from Shivers Basketball Practice Facility. Those participating will drive their car to the lot during their appointment time, receive a vaccination, and then wait in their car in the parking lot for the 15-minute, post-vaccination safety waiting period.

If you have any questions regarding the flu shots, please contact Nora Stelter, associate professor of pharmacy practice, at nora.stelter@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Students Archive

Bulldog Health Fair

The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences ambassadors have organized a Bulldog Health Fair for students to get flu shots, HIV/STI testing, and physical and wellness checks on Wednesday, Sept. 9, from 4–7 p.m. in Parents Hall, Olmsted Center. There will also be health-related information for students and freebies handed out. Appointments are required for the shots, testing, and wellness checks. Make an appointment.

For questions, contact MacKenzie Challoner at mackenzie.challoner@drake.edu.

— Kaylyn Maher, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

HR Information Archive

Employee and Family Resources fall webinars

Employee & Family Resources is continuing its series of COVID-19 related webinars through the fall and early winter months. The September and October webinars are listed below. You may also register by visiting efr.org/covid-19-webinars/.

Rural Communities & Farm Families-Mental Health First Aid as a Health Literacy Tool
Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 2 p.m. 
Explore the emotional and physical cost of stress and the importance of resiliency as it relates to farmers and agriculture-related business sectors in rural Midwest.  Register.

COVID Recovery: Emotional Support For Those Impacted By COVID-19
Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 2 p.m. 
The current pandemic and derecho are disasters that have disrupted day-to-day activities and increased anxiety and depression for many.  The impact of compounding stress affects every aspect of a person’s life.  Learn what you can do to support yourself during these times.  Register.

Warming to a Winter Attitude of Health & Gratitude
Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 2 p.m. 
Instead of thinking about the dark days winter brings, consider adopting a fresh perspective on the new season that is around the corner. Calm the shaking snow globe in your head with this webinar which is all about an attitude of health and gratitude. Register.

Staying Connected in a Social Distanced World
Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 10 a.m. 
It takes intention and hard work to stay engaged while navigating the challenges of social distancing, but it can be done. This webinar addresses: how and why it is important to show compassion for others given the struggles that they may be facing and what you can do to stay safely engaged with others at work and home given the COVID-induced restrictions. Register.

To view past webinars, visit: efr.org/resources/webinars/.

EFR offers a variety of Employee Assistance Program (EAP) resources to help you now or anytime. Reach EAP by phone (800-327-4692) or visit their website at efr.org/login/. All EAP benefits are confidential and available 24/7/365.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Register now: Virtual Sussman Lecture featuring Microsoft’s Jenny Lay-Flurrie

Hear how Microsoft has become a model of competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities, particularly in the time of COVID during The Harkin Institute’s virtual Sussman Lecture on Wednesday, Sept. 16.

This fall’s speaker, Microsoft Chief Accessibility Officer Jenny Lay-Flurrie, will discuss the company’s commitment to competitive, integrated employment for people with disabilities and the role Microsoft’s tools and software have played in remote work opportunities for all employees.

The Sussman Lecture is free and open to the public but registration is required. Learn more and register now.

— Emily Schettler, Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Reminder: Complete the COVID-19 online training

This is a reminder for faculty and staff to complete the COVID-19 online training course. This 15-minute course can be accessed through Blackboard via my.drake.edu. Upon selecting the Blackboard link under “Commonly Used Apps,” employees can access the course via the left hand menu under the “Courses” tab by clicking on the course entitled “Drake University Awareness Training for Returning to Campus During COVID-19” and following the instructions within the course. If the course does not appear in your Blackboard course list, you can find it by searching for the term COVID in the Blackboard search area.

As has been stated before, it is important for all of us to do our part to protect the health and safety of the Drake community, and taking this training is one step in that process.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Law School to host webinar series on systemic racism in America

The Law School will host a fall webinar series to address a broad array of policies and practices that perpetuate racial inequities in American society—from racial profiling to Afrocentric facial feature bias and environmental harms. This series of live-streamed talks, open to law students, lawyers, and the larger community, features Drake Law faculty and guests sharing their expertise about underlying structures that reinforce racism and oppression in our society.

“Working to dismantle systematic racism is a moral and ethical imperative for lawyers,” says Maura Strassberg, professor of law at Drake Law School and organizer of the lecture series. “In subtle and systematic ways, our existing structures of law operate to perpetuate inequality and oppression. Exposing the ways in which this occurs is the first step toward both acknowledging the systematic way racism has been worked into American society and recognizing what is required to truly achieve our fundamental commitments to equality, liberty, and democratic governance.”

All lectures will be held on Friday afternoons at 1 p.m. CST and are free and open to the public. One hour of Iowa Continuing Legal Education credit has been approved for each lecture. For more information or to register visit https://bit.ly/3lBJnKb.

Webinar schedule:

Friday, Sept. 4: Unbiased Policing and Anti-racial Profiling Legislation
Russell Lovell and David Walker, Professors emeriti, Drake Law School

Friday, Sept. 11: Over-representation of Minority Children in the Child Welfare System
Jami Hagemeier, interim director of the Joan and Lyle Middleton Center for Children’s Rights, and associate clinical professor, Drake Law School

Friday, Sept. 25: The #MeToo Movement and Black Feminism: How the Mainstream White Feminist Movement Failed Black Women and Where We Go from Here
Julia Steggerda-Corey, director of the Compliance and Risk Management Program at Drake Law School; and Victoria Millet, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Associate, University of Minnesota

Friday, Oct. 9: Why Afrocentric Facial Feature Bias is a Pernicious Form of Racism
Mark W. Bennett, director, Drake Law Institute for Justice Reform and Innovation, and retired U.S. district judge, Northern District of Iowa

Friday, Oct. 16: The U.S. Supreme Court and Systemic Racism
Mark Kende, director, Drake Constitutional Law Center, and James Madison Chair in Constitutional Law

Friday, Oct. 23: Fair Cross-Section Jury Trial Reform
Russell Lovell and David Walker

Friday, Nov. 6: Environmental Justice
Jerry Anderson, dean, Drake Law School, and the Richard M. and Anita Calkins Distinguished Professor of Law.

Friday, Nov. 13: Institutional Racism and the Food We Eat
Jennifer Zwagerman, director, Drake Agricultural Law Center

Campus Announcements Archive

Counseling Center support groups

The Counseling Center is currently hosting online support groups. The groups are an open format, meaning you can attend as needed.

Together, Not Alone
Starts Monday, Aug. 31, 4 p.m.–5 p.m.
A weekly mental health support group where students can talk about their resources and struggles without judgement. To participate, fill out the registration form, and we will send you the meeting details.

There’s a First Time for Everything
Starts Wednesday, Sept. 2, at 4 p.m.
A weekly first-year support group focused on skill building and connecting other students who are facing challenges adjusting to college. To participate, fill out the registration form, and we will send you the meeting details.

Wellness Wednesday 
Each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. join the counseling center for a self-care practice that will focus on mindfulness and caring for the mind, body, and spirit. Facilitated by Julie Rice, Counseling Center intern and registered yoga teacher and mindfulness expert. To participate, fill out the registration form, and we will send you the meeting details.

— Danielle Green, Health Center