The Office of Alumni Relations is looking for faculty and staff to be speakers in a new virtual ‘Back to Class’ series. This is an opportunity for alumni to connect with campus and a chance for you to share your knowledge. The topic and time can be decided based on your schedule. After the session is completed, the video will be accessible on the alumni website.
To sign up or learn more, take this survey. For questions, reach out to alumni@drake.edu.
— Amelia Klatt, Alumni Relations
Drake has revised its Sexual Harassment Policy (formerly the Sexual and Interpersonal Misconduct Policy) and the Code of Student Conduct to bring the University into compliance with new Title IX regulations issued by the U.S. Department of Education in May. Members of the Drake community are encouraged to review and comment on these policy revisions by Aug. 24, 2020, and to watch for upcoming updates about a new online Title IX training course.
— Jessica Morgan-Tate, Title IX Coordinator/Equity and Inclusion Policy Specialist
This is a reminder that due to COVID-19, Drake University has made the decision to waive the physician exam requirement to qualify for the wellness premium discount in 2021. All participants enrolled in Drake’s medical plan will receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2021.
We will return to the physician only option in 2021 to receive the health insurance premium discount in 2022. Employees on Drake’s health plan will need to complete a physical with a PCP between Dec. 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2021, and submit a Physician Exam Completion Form by Dec. 2, 2021, to receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2022.
Until then, we encourage all employees to participate in the wellness programs offered at Drake University and to utilize the resources available to enhance your health and wellbeing.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Drake is enthusiastic to introduce our first-ever Sustainability Coordinator Sophia Siegel. Sophia recently graduated from Drake in May with a degree in environmental sustainability and resilience. As the Sustainability Coordinator, her role will be to coordinate and support all projects and initiatives relating to sustainability at Drake. This includes coordinating and promoting activities and actions that incorporate social, environmental, and economic sustainability into existing and future planning and operations. She is looking forward to leading and supporting the University’s deepening commitment to sustainability by collaborating with faculty, staff, and students.
Drake has renewed its membership in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) to further campus efforts toward building a thriving, equitable, and ecologically just world. AASHE is a non-profit 501(c)(3) membership organization that empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff, and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. Through membership in AASHE, Drake will receive continued support in advancing its sustainability initiatives throughout the institution and in the community. You can view a list of AASHE’s 900+ members.
AASHE enables higher education institutions to meet their sustainability goals by providing specialized resources, professional development, and a network of peer support and knowledge sharing. We invite and strongly encourage students, faculty, and staff to create an AASHE account. Membership extends to every individual at our institution, so the entire campus community can take advantage of member benefits.
Below are more details about AASHE’s member benefits, services, and programs:
Individual Member Accounts
To access member-only pages on AASHE’s website and take advantage of member benefits, individuals must first create their own account. To create an individual account, go to the register page and complete a user profile using your campus email address. After you receive an email with your password, go to the login page, enter your email address (username) and new password, and you will have access to the entirety of online resources.
If you have any questions about AASHE or our benefits as a member, email sophia.siegel@drake.edu. Again, every individual on our campus can take advantage of these membership benefits from AASHE, so be sure to set up an account and get started today.
AASHE e-Newsletters
We encourage everybody to subscribe to AASHE’s e-Newsletters. AASHE Bulletin is a weekly publication that delivers the latest in campus sustainability news, resources, opportunities, events, and jobs and internships. AASHE Announcements is a monthly publication that highlights news, events and important information about AASHE and its members. STARS Update is a periodic publication designed to keep participants up-to-date on the latest STARS technical developments, publications, deadlines, tips and tools.
Online Resources
AASHE’s Campus Sustainability Hub is an online resource library that provides access to thousands of valuable resources for campus sustainability practitioners, enabling AASHE members to share and learn about all aspects of sustainability in higher education. Resources are organized by sustainability topic (e.g., curriculum, public engagement, energy, investment) and content type (e.g., academic program, case study, conference presentation, photography).
Professional Development
AASHE presents or co-sponsors workshops and webinars throughout the year, as well as an annual conference that serves as the largest stage in North America for higher education sustainability practitioners to take advantage of face-to-face networking in a collaborative environment. These events offer opportunities to connect with our colleagues at regional, national, and international levels to share resources. As members, we receive discounts on registration for all AASHE events. Check this listing for upcoming events.
Product and Service Discounts
AASHE business and nonprofit members offer exclusive product and service discounts for institutional members.
Publicity and Recognition
We can submit news, opportunities, resources, events, and job postings to the AASHE Bulletin (be sure to read the submission guidelines first). The Bulletin informs more than 9,000 subscribers in the campus sustainability community.
Professional Awards
Our campus can submit applications for any of the AASHE Sustainability Awards, in the categories of Campus Sustainability Achievement, Campus Sustainability Research, and Student Sustainability Leadership.
Campus Sustainability Perspectives Blog
AASHE’s Campus Sustainability Perspectives blog features opinions and reports by staff and guests related to campus sustainability. You can read the blog and comment on posts. You can also reach out to marketing@aashe.org if you are interested in being a guest blogger.
AASHE Member Logo
We can post the AASHE Member Logo on our website to emphasize our commitment to sustainability. The logo may also be used on any signage, reports, brochures, and publicity or display materials. Be sure to read the usage guidelines before publishing.
Governance, Councils, Committees
Anyone from our campus is welcome to submit for consideration to serve on AASHE’s Board of Directors, Advisory Council, STARS Steering Committee or STARS Technical Advisors.
— Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning and Management
The University Bookstore is hiring temporary team members to help with the back-to-school rush. To apply, visit www.folletthiring.com. Hours during the school day are flexible. Saturday availability is mandatory.
— Donna Hallstrom, University Bookstore
The following is a list of upcoming workshops from The Ray Center offered through the Drake Office of Online and Continuing Education. For dates, times, and prices, or to register, visit drake.edu/doce/programs/.
Civility in the Work Place
Recent studies show that Americans believe our culture is uncivil. Civility will only improve when individuals commit to bettering their own actions. The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University is committed to helping individuals, organizations, and communities learn skills and strategies to help maintain civility, even during the most difficult conversations. In this session, participants will learn the importance of establishing connection, how to rephrase attack statements, and how to seek understanding and common ground.
Managing Stress at Work
Stress is a constant in our lives. No matter the steps taken to reduce stress, it will always show up again. As leaders, it is important to manage our stress so that we can overcome challenges and obstacles and keep pursuing our goal, and help our team members manage their stress as well. In this session, participants will learn about the difference between good stress and distress, and develop a stress management plan that helps them recognize their stress, choose the right mindset, take the right actions, and evaluate the outcome of their stress management.
— Amy Smit, Robert D. & Billie Ray Center
Join Employee & Family Resources on Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. for the 30-minute webinar: “Stop Beating Yourself Up: Using Mindfulness and Self-Compassion During Difficult Times.”
Register here, and/or listen to past, recorded webinars in the weekly series designed to educate, enlighten, and inspire healthier behaviors and attitudes.
If life is weighing you down, Employee & Family Resources 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. All EAP benefits are confidential and available 24/7.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
The Fall 2020 Faculty Writers Workshop will meet online from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the following Fridays: Aug. 28, Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 13, and Dec. 11. To participate, complete the interest form by 12 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21.
Drake faculty members are invited to participate in the Faculty Writers Workshop (FWW), a writing group focused on working effectively on our scholarship. We will meet via teleconference from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. monthly on Fridays.
The FWW will be co-facilitated by Nate Holdren (LPS) and En Li (History). Our goal will be to help set ourselves up to make progress on our scholarship over the semester. We will read Joli Jensen’s book Write No Matter What and discuss it to the degree that participants find it useful. The session will also include discussion/workshop of the faculty members’ own scholarship and on-site writing time.
This writing group is generously supported by the Provost’s Office and Humanities Center. There are spots for 10 faculty participants. Should more than 10 individuals express interest, priority shall be given to 1) those who actively participated in the previous Faculty Writing Groups, 2) tenure-track faculty who are not yet tenured, 3) faculty who are members of groups under-represented.
All meetings will be conducted virtually this fall. Participants who attend all five sessions will receive a stipend of $150, pre-tax.
If you are interested in participating, please fill out the interest form by 12 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 21.
For questions, contact co-facilitators Nate Holdren (nate.holdren@drake.edu) and En Li (en.li@drake.edu).
— Nate Holdren, Law, Politics & Society
Over the past few months, ITS has been developing a framework to better support Drake-owned computers remotely. These solutions will help ensure campus-owned computers are kept up to date, remain secure, and streamline tasks such as changing passwords from off campus.
The first step toward remotely managing Drake-owned computers is to change the way everyone signs into Microsoft 365 applications including myDrake, Teams, Outlook, and Office. This requires moving from our current login process to using Microsoft’s authentication solution.
On Monday, Aug. 31, ITS will begin using Microsoft’s authentication workflow. After this change, all logins to Microsoft 365 applications will require you to use your Drake email address as your username instead of your 9-digit Drake ID. This change will only affect Microsoft-connected applications like myDrake. Non-Microsoft 365 applications will continue to accept either your Drake email address or 9-digit Drake ID as a username.
We are working on creating documentation and will provide more information as we get closer to this change.
— Christopher Mielke, ITS
The American Lung Association (ALA) is offering a free one-year membership to Freedom from Smoking Plus (FFS Plus). This interactive online program works on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones and includes telephone, chat, and email support.
Freedom from Smoking Plus assesses your readiness to quit and guides you through a three-part process from getting ready to quit, to quit day, and finally, staying smoke free. There are online tips and tools to keep you on track as well as access to ALA tobacco cessation counselors. You may also visit the Freedom from Smoking online community to interact with others who are working to break their tobacco addiction.
To join this program, click on the link: bit.ly/ALAFFSPLUS. Users can set up a profile to begin the self-paced, nine-module course. FFS Plus includes 12 months of continuous support.
FFS Plus normally costs $99.95 but the ALA is offering it at no cost for a limited time. So, if you are a tobacco user who is contemplating quitting, now is the time to join.
Should you have any questions, please contact the American Lung Association’s National Tobacco Team at freedomfromsmoking@lung.org.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources