In about two and a half weeks a new class of Drake first-year students will be arriving on campus! We will soon be greeting them curbside and directing them how to check into the residence halls and where to take their personal belongings.

The Office of Residence Life staff members are often busy inside the buildings on move in day, checking in the students and answering questions, and are unable to assist with the directing of traffic and move in crew helpers curbside.

This is where we are requesting some assistance. 

The Office of Residence Life is seeking Drake faculty and staff members who would like to welcome students to Drake on move in day and are interested in volunteering (and have the approval of your supervisor to do so).

If you are interested in volunteering please sign up at: here

Feel free to forward this invitation to any Drake Faculty or Staff member whom you feel would be willing and able to volunteer. We are hoping to garner enough faculty & staff volunteers to fill the following curbside check in shifts (if you can only do a partial shift that is fine too, just let us know when signing up on the volunteer link). 

This wonderful welcome for our First Year Students and Families, would not be possible without YOU!

Volunteers would report to the Carpenter front desk to receive instruction and the necessary information to properly direct the students arriving for move in. It is our goal to have the drivers stay with the vehicle curbside, while the student goes into the residence hall to check in and get their room key. Meanwhile, the move-in crew members (student volunteers) will unload and take the student’s property directly to the student’s room. Once the vehicle is unloaded, the driver can be directed to park in the nearest Drake parking lot before going in to help their student get settled, allowing for another family to pull up curbside. Ideally it takes 5-10 minutes to unload the vehicles.

We encourage volunteers to consider wearing Drake apparel and their professional name badge. This helps students and families to recognize who you are and what departments are there supporting them on move-in day.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request! 

–Tony Tyler, Office of Residence Life

ITS is excited to announce eduroam (education roaming), a new wireless network at Drake. Faculty, staff, and students at any eduroam-participating institution can access the eduroam wireless network at all other participating institutions worldwide. This means that by logging into eduroam on campus using your Drake email address and password, you will then be able to connect to eduroam networks wherever you travel, across the state (at Iowa State, University of Iowa, and University of Northern Iowa), or across the globe. Currently eduroam is available in over 1000 locations in 100 countries.

The eduroam network is replacing both DUStudent and DUFacStaff. DUFacStaff will be phased out on December 31, but we encourage you to switch to eduroam today.

You must log into eduroam using your Drake email address, rather than your Drake ID number. This ensures that your credentials are passed securely anywhere you connect to the eduroam network.

Learn more at our FAQ page and in the ITS knowledge base.

When we think of a healthy person we often envision someone in great physical shape, but how we think and process emotions is just as important as how often we exercise and how healthy we eat. Becoming more mindful can improve emotional intelligence, reduce stress, and help manage change. But how do we learn these skills?

Koru is an introduction to mindfulness and meditation.  It teaches you skills you can use to manage your stress, focus your mind, and gain perspective on challenges you may be facing. Using traditional tools from breathing techniques to guided imagery, you will learn how to let go of the thoughts and worries that can overcome your ability to be present.

Join Christine Urish, Professor, Occuptional Therapy, for a four-part series which will meet Wednesdays from 2–3:15 p.m. on Sept. 4, 11, 18, and 25 in the Occupational Therapy building. You must attend all four sessions. Class size limited to 12 people.  Contact Linda Feiden for registration information.

–Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The first Provost’s Drake Social this year will be Friday, Aug. 16, in Cowles Library Reading Room, at 4 pm.

The Provost would like to make this year’s Socials easier to attend for faculty and staff who have young children and who have childcare responsibilities right after work. This year, you can pick up your kids from daycare or school, and bring them along to the Social. Children will get “white tickets” for soda, and are welcome to enjoy the light snacks.

The first Social this year will be directly following the Drake Learning Symposium.

–Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

Human Resources regularly reviews best practices in the wellness field and aligns Drake’s wellness program with research-supported trends. Recent research calls into question the traditional model of using annual biometric screenings as a driver of wellness outcomes. Instead, some health plans are focusing on annual check-ups with primary care physicians in an effort to promote early detection and treatment. There is also a growing trend toward more holistic wellness programming, focusing on an individualized approach to wellness.

These trends, along with changes in the regulations governing wellness programs, are prompting a review of Drake’s wellness program. While the program is under review, employees are not required to complete a biometric screening in 2019 to qualify for a medical premium wellness discount in 2020. All participants enrolled in Drake’s medical plan will receive the wellness premium discount in 2020.

Here is what to expect as we prepare for open enrollment in the fall of 2019:

• In 2019, the on-campus Unity Point biometric screenings and the Hy-Vee in-store screenings will not be offered.
• Voluntary on-campus biometric screenings will be available for those who find the screenings helpful in tracking health and wellness. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will perform this service.
• You are encouraged to complete a screening with your Primary Care Provider (PCP), following his or her guidance about the health care practices best supporting your wellness. Although encouraged, a physician screening is not a requirement to qualify for the medical insurance 2020 discount.
• Watch for additional information as the University Benefits Committee works closely with Human Resources to make decisions regarding future wellness programming.

–Linda Feiden, Human Resources