All posts by Hannah Remke

For Students Archive

Donate items you no longer need during move-out

Leaving dorm life in the past and have twin bedding and appliances you no longer need? We have the solution!

The Office of Sustainability has partnered with the Des Moines Free Store to collect clean, undamaged furniture during move-out to help people in need. Please donate:

  • Sheets
  • Quilts, blankets, comforters – must be clean
  • Microwaves
  • Vacuum cleaners
  • Coffee makers
  • Floor and desk lamps
  • Pillows and Pillow cases
  • Coffee Tables
  • Couches and sofas
  • Flat screen TVs
  • Bath and dish towels – clean
  • Kitchen utensils
  • Dishes, glassware, tableware
  • Toasters
  • No refrigerators 
  • No futons

The truck will be parked in the GK lot May 15 and May 16, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Stop by and drop off any of the accepted items.

—Hannah Remke, Sustainability Coordinator

Campus Announcements Archive

Join the Des Moines Corporate Games

Don’t be fooled by the name, the ‘corporate games’ are a great way to have fun with co-workers and represent Drake while doing so.

For those of you looking for fun in a team setting, we still need people for these events:

  • Pickleball
  • Track & Field – many events on the Blue Oval!
  • Dodgeball
  • Ultimate 4’s (new event)
  • Bowling
  • Women’s Ping Pong (new event)
  • 4-Person Best Shot Golf
  • Disc Golf

If you prefer individual events, we have lots of options:

  • Fitness Walk (in-person and virtual option)
  • Cycling Tour
  • Yoga
  • Virtual Interval Class
  • 4K and 8K Cross Country Races
  • 5K Road Race

The Des Moines Corporate Games even offer an opportunity to donate blood or volunteer at Meals from the Heartland, as well as an online hydration program called Burst Your Thirst.

You don’t need to be an elite athlete to participate in any of the above.  Just a desire for some fun.

Sign-ups are easy – just email Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu to receive a set of registration instructions.  ALL Drake faculty and staff, student employees, interns, and retirees are invited and encouraged to join Drake’s team.

We’ll see you out there!

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Wellness Premium Incentive reminder

As a reminder, employees on Drake’s health plan who wish to continue receiving the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2025 need to complete a physical exam with an in-network provider between Dec. 1, 2023, and Nov. 30, 2024, and submit a Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form by Nov. 30, 2024.  This is an annual event, so if you submitted one last year, you need to do it again this year.

If you already had your physical since last December, please fill out the form and turn it in now.  If you have not scheduled your annual physical yet, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.  Some physician’s offices require a long lead time for appointments. Also note that our Wellmark health plan allows for one physical per calendar year, so you should not need to wait a year and a day between physicals.

Besides receiving a premium discount, an annual physical is a great way to receive important health information through age and gender specific examinations, schedule recommended preventative screenings, and create a doctor-patient relationship.

Please contact linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions on the wellness premium discount physical form and marlene.heuertz@drake.edu with additional benefits questions.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

“BUILD”ing for fall: Share your ideas

This past academic year, 421 faculty and staff participated in at least one Bulldogs United in Learning & Development (BUILD) class. These classes assist individuals with learning a new skill, improving their well-being, or strengthening professional knowledge.

BUILD classes would not be possible without our wonderful presenters.  Human Resources would like to thank the following faculty and staff for leading one or more BUILD classes this past academic year:

Mallary Allan
Dennis Belieu
Hope Bibens
Joe Bridgeman
Matt Cooper
Maureen De Armond
Doreen Dixon
Kristin Economos
Catherine Gillespie
Tiffany Hach
Terry Janssen
Bill Jensen
Jorona Johnson
Jessica Lang		Scott Law
Meredith Luttrell
Venessa Macro
Samantha Matt
Jennifer McCrickerd
Matthew Mitchell
Joseph Owens
Jen Rasmussen
Nate Reagen
Hannah Remke
Nanci Ross
Christine Urish and OT students
Gail Witte

Thank you to everyone on this list for your commitment to Drake and your willingness to share your expertise and time.

We are now in the process of planning for our 2024–2025 academic year.  If there are topics you would like to see covered in BUILD sessions next year or you would be interested in facilitating a BUILD class, we would like to hear from you.  Please take a moment to fill out this short Qualtrics survey with your suggestions or send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Congratulations to the 2024 Adams Leadership Award winners

Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 Adams Leadership Awards! This ceremony, held on May 4 recognized student leadership and achievement across Drake’s campus through a variety of award categories. Please see below and congratulate the following Drake student, staff, and organization winners:

  • Outstanding First Year Students: Macy Gardner & Elliot Nelson
  • Outstanding Sophomores: Morgan Ryan & William Lainez
  • Outstanding Juniors: Mia Stefani & Carissa Johnson
  • Outstanding Seniors: Joe Frommelt & Andrew Kennard
  • Outstanding Bright College Student: Rachel Manna
  • Outstanding Transfer Student: Dena Gerhart
  • Outstanding Student Organization Officer: Macy Gardner & Eli Benson
  • Outstanding Student Organization President: Ashlynn Keck
  • Outstanding Student Organization: Drake Environmental Action League
  • Outstanding Organization Advisor: Mary Edrington
  • Outstanding Residence Hall Leader: Tyler Butler & Ethan Nguyen
  • Wanda E. Everage Peer Mentor Award: Ethan Duesterhaus & Ryan Frederick
  • Ron & Jane Olson Outstanding Global Service Learning Award: Catalina Samaniego
  • Principal Global Citizenship Award: Hannah Heiss
  • Seed Coalition President’s Student Leadership Award: Lara Rahman
  • Outstanding Individual Service Award: Kamari Jones
  • Outstanding Group Service Award: Next Course Food Recovery
  • Outstanding Social Program: Halloween Hoops (Student Alumni Association)
  • Outstanding Educational Program: Middle East Peace and Prosperity Alliance (MEPPA)
  • Outstanding Equity and Inclusion Program: Bulldogs Belong: Cultural Food and Art Fair
  • Outstanding Alcohol Alternative Program: Dogtown After Hours
  • Outstanding Collaboration Award: Violence Intervention Partners (VIP)
  • 2024 Oreon E. Scott Outstanding Senior of the Year Award: Ruwayda Egal

— Kristin Economos, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership

For Faculty Archive

Ultra Hours before Summer 2024

Prepare for fall semester today. As you wrap up the spring semester, we invite you to come to Ultra Hours, hosted by Drake Online & Continuing Education and the Center for Teaching Excellence, to update and copy the courses you need for fall.

Where: Howard Hall Room 131 (Ground floor)
Time: 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Dates: Thursday, May 16; Monday, May 20; Wednesday, May 22

If possible, please complete this form to indicate when you plan to come and what you plan to work on. If a virtual appointment or another time works better for you, fill out a service request and one of our instructional design staff will be in contact shortly.

— Bret Sikkink, Faculty Development Specialist

For Staff Archive

Update: Fair Labor Standards Act

On Tuesday, April 23, the Biden administration announced the Final Rule increasing the salary threshold required for many employees to remain salaried (and, thus, exempt from/ineligible for overtime).

Starting July 1, the rule increases the salary threshold at which executive, administrative and professional (“EAP”) employees are exempt from overtime pay from the current salary threshold of $35,568 to $43,888. The rule makes an additional adjustment to $58,656, effective January 1, 2025 (and automatic adjustments are built into the rule every three years thereafter).

Drake HR is working with members of the President’s Council and impacted managers to assess exempt positions that will fall short of the new July 1 and/or January 1 salary thresholds.

Drake HR is also working to create a webpage that will provide more information about the new Final Rule and how FLSA exemptions work. It will also address some of the ways Drake will assess impacted staff.

We do expect legal challenges to the Final Rule. For those of you who recall the 2016 Final Rule, it was subject to a court injunction right before it went into effect. We’ll be keeping a close eye on any legal developments and will share those, should they occur.

Please watch for more OnCampus updates and the roll-out of a FLSA webpage (hopefully by the end of this month).

— Maureen De Armond & Debra Wiley, 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 has been extended and must be submitted by Thursday, May 16.

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.

All Staff Council will also draw a winner for the parking pass at this event, names collected for events throughout the semester.

— Courtney Conrad, On behalf of All Staff Council

Campus Announcements Archive

Traveling abroad? Let ITS know

Will you be traveling abroad over the summer? Make sure to notify ITS before you go so we can ensure your access will continue uninterrupted. Submit an Account/Security Request before you leave and you’ll be set. Even if you have submitted a notification in the past, a new request is necessary this summer.

Also, remember that the eduroam wireless network is available at more than 33,000 locations worldwide. Check to see if your destination is on the list at https://eduroam.org/where/.

— Jeremy Calvert, ITS

Campus Announcements Archive

Payroll deadlines moving up due to July 4

Due to the July 4th holiday, payroll deadline will be moved up.

Instructions to set up a proxy to approve time sheets in your absence are at https://www.drake.edu/hr-internal/managerstoolkit/ under Online Time reporting.

The deadlines for the biweekly time sheets and direct pays will be:

  • June 17–30 hours paid July 3, 2 p.m. Thursday, June 27, for employees and 3 p.m. that day for approvers. Please note that employees will need to estimate their hours for June 27–30.

The deadlines for student time sheets and direct pays will be:

  • June 1–30 hours paid July 12, 12 p.m. Monday, July 1, for students and 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 2, for approvers.

— Lisa Etnyre, Payroll Coordinator