All posts by Marlene Heuertz

New retirement planning option

In June 2024, Drake employees will have the option to enroll in a Roth IRA, administered by our 403(b) partner, TIAA.

A new federal law recently enacted, the SECURE 2.0 Act, has brought about substantial changes to retirement account rules in the United States. Although these changes require employers to make a Roth IRA available to certain high-paid employees, Drake has decided to make it available to all eligible employees.

To learn more about how you can make Roth contributions to Drake’s Voluntary Retirement Plan, click here Additionally, please plan to attend an on-campus presentation provided by Drake’s new TIAA field consultant on Friday, May 3.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Get involved in campus sustainability

April is Earth Month and Drake is going all out. Events are being put on by DEAL, Student Alumni Association, Student Activities Board, Epsilon Eta, Drake Grounds, and the Office of Sustainability. Take a minute to see what is going on!

April 16th, 7–9 p.m.: Relax and enjoy a movie in Sussman Theater courtesy of DEAL and Epsilon Eta.

April 17th, 5–7 p.m.: Meet at the Sprout Garden to learn all about soil on campus.

April 18th, 5–7 p.m.: Learn more about soil at the speaker panel at Pom Stage.

April 18th, 6 p.m.: Decorate a tumbler for Earth Day with SAB at Pom Stage.

April 19th, 11:30–1:30 p.m.: Help Drake maintain its Tree Campus Higher Education designation by joining DEAL and Grounds for the annual tree planting. Meet between Howard and Sheslow. Supplies will be provided. Sign up here.

April 20th, 10–12 p.m.: Join SAA at the Harkin Institute Parking Lot to pick up trash for Paul Morrison Spruce Up Day. RSVP here.

April 20th, 4–9 p.m.: Finish out the week strong by rocking out and celebrating the earth at the Earth Jam concert. There will be games, food, prizes, and live music of course!

–Hannah Remke, Sustainability Coordinator 

FAFSA update and financial aid offers for 2024–2025

Functionality to make corrections or changes to the 2024–2025 FAFSA is expected to be broadly available to students this week. Common corrections include providing required signature(s) and/or consent to the IRS direct data exchange, updating your college grade level (P1 and P2 students should choose “Other undergraduate – junior year and beyond”) . Guidance on how to make changes to your FAFSA can be found here.

The Financial Aid Office is preparing 2024-2025 financial aid offers, and is prioritizing students enrolled in the summer semester (or P4 students), as well as prospective students. Undergraduate and P1, P2 or P3 students should complete the Summer Application for Financial Aid if they are interested in borrowing Federal Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized student loans for the summer semester.

If you have not yet completed the 2024-2025 FAFSA and wish to be considered for need-based assistance or federal student loans in the summer 2024, fall 2024, or spring 2025 semesters, please complete it at www.studentaid.gov as soon as possible.

Ryan Zantingh, Director of Financial Aid

Beautiful Bulldog Contest April 21

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend the 45th Annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest®, Presented by Ramsey Subaru. The contest will take place Sunday, April 21, at 2 p.m. Doors will open to fans at 1 p.m. to enjoy the Rescue Dog Festival and Kids Zone before the pageant begins. The event is free and open to the public. There will be a giveaway for the first 50 students to show up with their Drake ID.

The Beautiful Bulldog Contest® at Drake University is a unique trademarked event with an over 40-year history. The event kicks off a week-long Drake Relays celebration. Thirty English Bulldogs walk the pup-way to impress judges in hopes of being crowned the Most Beautiful Bulldog. The winner of the contest will reign as the Most Beautiful Bulldog for the 2024 week-long Drake Relays.

For questions, email beautifulbulldog@drake.edu.

— Courtney Conrad, Office of Alumni Relations

Students for Dignity info session April 15

Join Students for Dignity for an info session to learn how you can be part of a new movement to ease divisions, prevent violence, and solve problems in the United States.

 Students for Dignity is a national student led campaign addressing the growing division in our country and on college campuses. We offer a welcoming space where students openly share their perspectives and engage in thoughtful discussions with their peers.

We ground our work in The Dignity Index, an eight-point scale that measures how we treat each other when we disagree. The Dignity Index is founded on the belief that treating others with contempt tears us apart, treating others with dignity can bring us together, and talking about dignity and contempt prompts us to use more dignity and less contempt.

By applying the Dignity Index, we objectively evaluate public and political speech to assess the level of contempt or dignity in campaign messages, fundraising emails, and other political discourse. In doing so, our members actively engage in shaping the political discourse of our nation. Our goal is to create a new incentive where dignity – not contempt – is a winning strategy, and becomes the standard people demand from those who represent them, inform them, and entertain them.

Let’s unite, advocate, and make a difference together.

When: Monday, April 15, 2024 at 5 p.m.

Where: The Harkin Institute Boardroom (2800 University Avenue, Des Moines IA, 50311)

Click here to RSVP. Food will be provided.

Kathryn Kuckelman, The Harkin Institute

A Day in the Life of a Peace Corps Volunteer: with Tavia Swarney, Drake alumna

Tavia Swarney graduated from Drake in 2023 with a degree in Anthropology and Sociology, and minors in Spanish and Environmental Sustainability and Resilience. Currently Tavia is serving in the Peace Corps in Senegal, West Africa as an Urban Agriculture Extension Agent. Since arriving in Senegal at the end of September, she has been learning farming practices, Wolof, a completely new way of life. “My time with the Peace Corps has been a once in a lifetime experience that I have absolutely fallen in love with,” she says.

Tavia will be sharing about her experience in the Peace Corps and answering questions in a Zoom call on Friday, March 29, at 11 a.m. All Drake students, faculty, and staff are welcome to attend.

Register on DUgood to receive the zoom link.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Apply to be a Drake Student Ambassador, deadline April 8

The Drake Student Ambassador Application is live, with a deadline of April 8.  The Office of Admission welcomes interested students to apply.

Ambassadors play a very important role in the decision­‐making process for prospective students, as they portray the Drake student experience through interactions with prospective students and families during campus tours. Student Ambassadors represent the wide variety of academic majors and student involvement on Drake’s campus and as a group, reflect the student body. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

  • Be knowledgeable about important Drake features and academic and student life information.
  • Give tours of campus to prospective students and their families during individual visits, group visit programs on weekdays and select Saturdays.
  • Positively represent Drake in student panels at in person and/or virtual events. 
  • Assist with various office projects and tasks to prepare visit materials, answer calls, escort students, run errands. 
  • Student Ambassadors are required to work a minimum of four hours per week during the academic year and are paid $10 per hour.
  • Students selected will begin their professional orientation program and employment in the fall, however summer positions are available as well

Qualifications:

  • Must be a full time student at Drake University
  • Must be a sophomore or above status entering the 2024-2025 academic year
  • Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5.

Application Process:

  • Student Ambassador application and one recommendation is required.
  • The application must be completed and submitted by Monday, April 8 at Midnight.
  • One recommendation from a Drake University faculty or staff member must be completed and submitted by Monday, April 22.  Please give your recommenders ample time to complete and submit.
  • All applicants will participate in a group interview. Applicants will be contacted in April with their scheduled interview time based on their availability. 
  • Eight to ten Student Ambassadors are selected annually to join the Ambassador program for the following academic year. In addition to communication skills, engagement in the University and commitment to Drake, a key aspect to the selection process is to ensure that the Student Ambassador group represents the academic, demographic, and extra- curricular components of the Drake student body. 
  • Given the selectivity of the selection process, the Office of Admission invites all applicants to become members of the Admission Cole-ition, a volunteer organization, if not selected as a Student Ambassador.

Questions can be directed to admissioncoleition@drake.edu or deneen.dygert@drake.edu

Link to Application: Application Link

Link to Recommendation Form: Recommendation Form Link 

— Deneen Rae Dygert, Office of Admission

All Staff Council Sapphire Awards and Provost’s Social April 16

The 2024 All Staff Council Sapphire Awards will be held on Tuesday, April 16, in the Cowles Library Reading Room.

The Sapphire Awards will begin at 3:30 p.m. and will be immediately followed by the regular Provost’s Social at 4 p.m. Please join us to enjoy some refreshments and celebrate our colleagues!

Refreshments will include light snacks, assorted beverages, and cake. This is a family-friendly event, so please feel free to bring your children or partner.

— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost