All posts by Marlene Heuertz

HR Information Archive

Mark your calendars for Roth IRA presentations May 3

Drake employees will have the option to enroll in a Roth IRA, administered by TIAA effective June 1, 2024. The Roth contribution option will allow eligible employees to make after-tax contributions that offer the potential for tax-free income in retirement.

To learn more about the new Roth contribution option, please plan to attend one of two presentations provided by TIAA financial consultant Ricardo Diaz. Reservations are not required.

When: May 3 from 10:30 a.m. AND 1:30 p.m.
Where: Levitt Hall, Old Main

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Join Drake’s team for the Des Moines Corporate Games

Join Drake’s Corporate Games team! This annual company-based competition for organizations in central Iowa runs from May 19 through July 31.  With over two dozen events to choose from, Des Moines Corporate Games (DMCG) is a great way to meet new people and have fun.

Events range from team-based to individual and competitive to recreational. Try everything from pickleball and golf, to a fitness walk and bags. They’ve even added ping pong this year.  If sports aren’t your interest, put together a team and volunteer at Meals from the Heartland, donate blood, or try the annual Burst Your Thirst challenge. You may participate in as many events as you want.

All in-person activities will be held in the evenings and on weekends and are free (except golf cart rental). ALL Drake faculty and staff, student employees, interns, and retirees are invited and encouraged to join Drake’s team.

One more bonus. Everyone who registers to be a part of Drake’s team will receive a Drake University quick dry sports shirt (while supplies last). Special thanks to TC&B-Authentic Brand, an Official Partner of Drake Athletics. Their financial support made the participant shirts for this year a reality. TC&B is a full-license vendor and can help with your next campus project. For more information please contact, Clark Fessler at clark@tcbcorp.com or 515-465-4693.

To participate in this year’s Des Moines Corporate Games, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu for registration instructions.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Register for the All Staff Council kickball tournament

All Staff Council is bringing back the highly anticipated staff and faculty kickball tournament on Tuesday, May 21, to celebrate the start of summer. Register your team or as a free agent today. Registration must be submitted by Monday, May 13.

Important Details

  • First round begins around 1:30 p.m. and final round begins around 3:30 p.m.
  • Single elimination
  • Teams of 10 to 12

Spectators welcome and encouraged. Yard games and refreshments will be provided – we look forward to seeing you there.

— Courtney Conrad, On behalf of All Staff Council

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Drake Social on May 13 to recognize milestone service anniversary recipients and retirees

You are invited to join us at the next Provost’s Drake Social on Monday, May 13, in the Schickler Courtside Club, adjacent to the Knapp Center, beginning at 4 p.m. 

During this event, faculty and staff who celebrated (or will be celebrating) a milestone service anniversary or retirement between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, will be recognized on a rolling display at the event.  There will be cupcakes, soft drinks, wine, beer, and light snacks.

Please take a moment to stop by, enjoy some treats, and congratulate your colleagues.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

You are more than enough! Mental Health Awareness Month

Human Resources created a Mental Health Awareness Month webpage. Check out the list of resources available to you. 

Mental Health Awareness Month, observed annually in May since 1949, was established by the founder of Mental Health America to shed light on the challenges faced by those living with mental health conditions.

While stigma around mental health and treatment has decreased in recent years, there are still people who hesitate to take steps to address mental health challenges, seek care, and talk about mental health with friends, family, and even their medical providers.  Did you know that one in five Americans experience a mental illness each year and on average, people live with symptoms of a mental illness for 10 years before seeking treatment, largely due to the stigma?

So, what can you do?  How should you observe Mental Health Awareness Month?

  • Take care of yourself. Life has many ups and downs. Some problems you may be able to solve on your own, but not always, and that is okay. When you need mental health assistance, reach out.
  • Take care of your loved ones. Check up on your family and friends. Sometimes, all a person needs is a shoulder to cry on, or an ear to listen.  But if they need more help than you can provide, support them, and assist them to find the right treatment.
  • Talk about mental health. The more everyone talks about it, the more normalized it will become, reducing the stigma attached to mental health disorders and helping others to seek treatment.
  • Learn more. Attend live or virtual events; access resources (see below for more details).

Human Resources has created a Mental Health Awareness Month webpage that includes a detailed list of resources to assist you.  We will continue to expand this page throughout the month with any additional community events.

There are also several organizations that offer tools and resources to support others and be supported.

The Healthiest State Initiative’s Make It OK is a community campaign that encourages everyone to talk more openly about mental illness in hopes of de-stigmatizing it so individuals will feel more open to seek care.  They are holding free Make It OK presentations throughout the month that start this conversation.

Drake’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers a wide range of resources. EAPs are an often-under-utilized employee benefit. Drake partners with Employee & Family Resources (EFR) so Drake employees (and anyone living in their households) can have free easy access to these resources. There is something for everyone—including free confidential counseling, webinars, podcasts, a blog, self-assessment tools, and a mobile app.

EFR also offers a benefit called Togetherall—an online support peer community where you can connect with others for support, keep a journal, set goals, take assessments, and learn how to adjust to life’s ups and downs with structured courses. Moderated by professionals, Togetherall is available 24/7 and free to use.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Mental Health America (MHA) both help raise awareness and combat stigma. This year NAMI is celebrating Mental Health Awareness Month with their “Take the Moment” campaign and MHA with their “Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World” campaign.

Remember, it is OK to not be OK.  Please reach out when you need help, be there for others who need an assist, and start the conversation.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Planned maintenance: Self Service/Banner Admin Pages

ITS staff will be applying upgrades and patches to the Banner system beginning Saturday, May 4, at 7 p.m. and lasting until Sunday, May 5, at 3 a.m. During this time, Self Service, Admin Pages, ProcessMaker, Workflow, eTranscripts, TouchNet, and other connected systems will be unavailable. These updates are necessary to keep our University data secure and to install the latest features from our vendor.

If you experience issues after the maintenance is complete, contact the ITS Support Center for help by visiting service.drake.edu/its, calling 515-271-3001, or visiting the lower level of Carnegie Hall.

— Becky Klein, ITS

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Call for participants: FYS Writing Pedagogy Group, Fall 2024

This group will focus on writing instruction, activities, assignments, and assessments for First-Year Seminar. Instructors who participate in this project will have a one-semester commitment that will include:

  • Working with the Director of Writing, Megan Brown, on the development of a writing assignment, writing activities, or a writing project for their FYS.
  • Attending an individual meeting at the start of the semester (or during the summer if preferred) to work on writing assignment ideas.
  • Attending meetings of all participants in the program in August/September, at approximately midterm, and at end of Fall 2024 semester.  These meetings may be structured as two sessions each time, with half of the participants at each session, in order to facilitate more in-depth discussion.
  • Requiring all students enrolled in their FYS to attend tutoring sessions at the Writing Center at least twice during the semester.
  • Submitting samples of student writing and a brief critical reflection at the end of the semester.

At the end of the semester, participants will receive a stipend of $500.

Participation is limited to 10 individuals. Instructors who have not taught FYS in the past will be prioritized.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Madison Bemus (madison.bemus@drake.edu) by June 30. (Note: if you miss this deadline and you want to participate, please check anyway—summer is not necessarily the best time for getting people signed up.)

If you have questions, contact Megan Brown (megan.brown@drake.edu).

— Megan Brown, Professor of English