All posts by Marlene Heuertz, Linda Feiden, and Maureen De Armond

HR Information Archive

Benefits and Wellness Fair Nov. 4

On Friday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., we will be hosting Drake’s annual Benefits & Wellness Fair in Levitt Hall. Please come!

We will have benefits and wellness partners and vendors on hand to answer questions. There will be snacks, freebies, and the chance to enter a raffle for prizes. Most importantly, this is an opportunity for you to be sure you understand and take advantage of the benefits and perks offered to you as an employee of Drake University.

The Fair is an important annual event to help prepare you to make benefit elections for January 1, 2023.

To entice attendees to meet with our guests, we’ll hand out passports that will be stamped by the visitors you meet. If you get enough stamps, we’ll enter your name in a raffle for prizes.

November is open enrollment month! Throughout the month you can enroll in benefits for 2023. Please check OnCampus and review HR communications for additional benefits-related information and events throughout the month of November.

— Marlene Heuertz, Linda Feiden, and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Faculty and staff recognized for joyful accountability

Nearly 40 Drake faculty and staff were celebrated at the Provost’s Drake Social in October for exemplifying the core value of joyful accountability, which is defined as:

  • We are creative and curious, brave and bold.​
  • We strive each day to do our best.​

Each was nominated by a colleague, and several were chosen at random to receive prizes:

  • Valori Bross, Admission, application operations facilitator: pie baked by the Provost
  • Rob Ebel, Facilities, project manager: baked good
  • Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources, benefits specialist: office breakfast
  • Diana Newman, CPHS, budget and office manager: office snack break
  • Christine Urish, CPHS, professor of occupational therapy: premier parking

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

HR Information Archive

Contribution limits will increase for Drake’s voluntary/supplemental retirement plan in 2023

Because Drake has a mandatory retirement plan, employees who choose to contribute to the voluntary/supplemental retirement plan, may contribute up to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) contribution limits. In 2022, the contribution limit is $20,500.

On Oct. 20, 2022, the IRS announced the contribution limit for 2023 will be increased to $22,500. This limit applies to employees who participate in Drake’s voluntary/supplemental plan offered by Drake through TIAA.

Additionally, the IRS increased the “catch-up contribution limit” for employees age 50 and over to an additional $7,500 in 2023, up from $6,500 in 2022. Thus, employees who are age 50 and older may contribute up to $30,000 ($22,500 plus $7,500) pre-tax dollars to Drake’s voluntary/supplemental retirement account, starting Jan. 1, 2023.

Questions about your Drake retirement plan?

Our TIAA vendor will attend Drake’s Benefits & Wellness Fair on Nov. 4 (9–11:30 a.m.) in Levitt Hall. If you have questions related to your Mandatory or Voluntary retirement plan, please stop by the Fair and speak directly with a TIAA Field Consultant. If you are unable to attend the fair, please reach out to drakehr@drake.edu with any benefits questions.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

New flexible spending account limits in 2023

The maximum contribution limit for Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) will increase to $3,050 during the 2023 Plan Year. That’s $200 more than this year’s $2,850 limit.

Drake’s Health Care FSA Plan will allow participants to carry over up to $570 of unused 2022 contributions to the 2023 Plan Year. Contributions carried over, in addition to newly elected amounts, may be used to pay for eligible expenses incurred during the 2023 Plan Year.

For example: Participants who elect $3,050 for the 2023 Plan Year and carry over $570 of unreimbursed contributions from 2022 will have a total of $3,620 in their Health Care FSA effective January 1, 2023. Additionally, at the end of the 2023 Plan Year, participants may carry over up to $610 to the 2024 Plan Year.

The maximum contribution limit for Dependent Care FSAs will remain at $5,000 in 2023. Drake’s Health and Dependent Care FSAs are administered by Advantage Administrators.

Important Note about FSA Participation: Your enrollment in an FSA does not automatically continue from year-to-year. If you want to participate in Drake’s FSA plans during 2023, you must make a new election during Open Enrollment this month. If you forget to enroll or re-enroll, you will not be able to enroll once Open Enrollment has closed. Every year at least one person forgets to re-enroll and learns the hard way. Don’t be that person this year!

Questions about flexible spending accounts?

Advantage Administrators will be present at Drake’s Benefits & Wellness Fair on Nov. 4 (9–11:30 a.m.) in Levitt Hall. If you have questions related to flexible spending accounts, please stop by the Fair and speak directly with their representative. If you are unable to attend the fair, please reach out to drakehr@drake.edu with any benefits questions.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Introducing optional vision hardware insurance with Avēsis

Several employees have expressed concerns about the vision hardware benefit  offered by Drake’s Health Plan. The paper reimbursement process has proven to be slow and frustrating at best. In fact, one participant reported they stopped seeking reimbursement due to the inefficiencies of the claims process. We heard you!

Together with the University Benefits Committee and our benefit consultants, we explored other hardware benefit options. We are happy to announce a new vision hardware benefit with Avēsis effective January 1, 2023. Although we are discontinuing the hardware benefit through Wellmark, annual preventive vision exams will remain covered under Drake’s Health Plan.

The Avēsis hardware plan will include provider discounts and value-added features and allow for an enhanced participant experience. While the plan includes a vast network, participants will be able to purchase hardware from out-of-network providers.

Avēsis In-network Hardware Benefit At-A-Glance
  •  This is a voluntary/optional benefit. You may choose to purchase this coverage for yourself or your covered dependents (spouse/partner and dependent children).
  •  Frame allowance = $150
  • Contact Lens Allowance = $150
  •  Materials Co-pay = $15
  •  Single Monthly Rate = $1.37/month
  •  Family Monthly Rate = $4.37/month

To learn more about the new Avēsis vision hardware benefit, click here. To search for Avēsis network providers, click here.

Questions about the new vision hardware benefit offered by Avēsis?

Avēsis representatives will be present at Drake’s Benefits & Wellness Fair on Nov. 4 (9–11:30 a.m.) in Levitt Hall. If you have questions related to this new vision hardware benefit, please stop by the fair and speak directly with our Avēsis partners. If you are unable to attend the fair, please reach out to drakehr@drake.edu with any benefits questions.

— Marlene Heuertz and Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

Payroll deadlines moved up for holiday breaks

Due to the holidays, several payroll deadlines will be moved up.

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

The deadline for monthly direct pays for payroll will be changed to:

Dec. 12, 2022, for payroll direct pays for the December monthly payroll

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

12/5–12/18/22 hours paid 12/22, 9:00 AM Friday, 12/16, for employees and 10:00 AM that day for approvers. Employees will need to estimate hours for 12/16-12/18.

12/19-1/1/23 hours paid 1/6/23, 9:00 AM Tuesday, 1/3/23, for employees and 10:00 AM that day for approvers.

The deadline for student time sheets and direct pays will be unchanged:

12/1-12/31/22 hours paid 1/12/23, noon on Sunday, 1/01, for students and 11:59 PM 01/04 for approvers.

— Korrine Jackson, Payroll Coordinator

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Survey of Administrative Services achieves record response rate

The Survey of Administrative Services had a record number of responses this year—a robust 616 responses compared to 217 in 2021 and 414 in the survey’s inaugural year, 2017. A huge thank you to the campus community for taking the time to provide this important feedback. Individual units will now delve into the results—celebrating accomplishments and addressing areas for growth and improvement. This annual process is a critical part of our planning cycle. Examples of steps taken in response to survey results by administrative units in the past includes new customer service standards, improved monitoring of open ticket items, customer service training, and the use of technology to address inefficient or error-prone processes. The bottom line: the time our campus community takes to complete the survey is valuable and important—thank you! Watch for future OnCampus communications from individual units addressing this year’s results and priorities for improvement in the year ahead.

— Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Campus Announcements Archive

International Education Week is Nov. 14–18

Join Global Engagement in celebrating International Education Week, November 14–18.

There will be events hosted throughout the week for students, faculty, and staff. Join in to discover all the ways Drake is global. Check out the full calendar of events at calendar.drake.edu/ieweek.

Featured events:

Global Scholar-in-Residence, Inés Rojas
Presentation and reception for faculty and staff
Monday, Nov. 14, at 2:30–4 p.m.
Reading Room, Cowles Library
Learn More >>

Fulbright U.S. Student Program Information Session
Presentation by Professor Karen Leroux and Karen Williams, Education Abroad Advisor
Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Medbury Honors Lounge
Learn More >>

The European Union in 2022: Key Challenges of Our Time
Visiting scholar lecture by Dr. Robert Pichler (Austria). Part of the Principal Center for Global Citizenship fall speaker series.
Tuesday, Nov. 15, from 2-3:15 p.m.
Sussman Theater
Learn More >>

U.S.-China Symposium
Hosted by Ambassador-in-Residence Terry Branstad, featuring sessions on relevant topics including education, politics and foreign affairs
Thursday, Nov. 17 – Sessions all day
Olmsted Center
Learn More >>

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement

For Students Archive

Voting in the Midterm Elections

The 2022 Midterm Elections are just one week away. The polls will be open on Tuesday, Nov. 8, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Check your Iowa voter registration status here.

Iowa offers same-day voter registration, so all Drake students that are U.S. citizens and over the age of 18 may register to vote on Nov. 8 (even if you did not pre-register). Drake students may vote at their nearest polling location, which can be accessed on the Iowa Secretary of State website. Eligible voters must bring a photo ID (with an expiration date) and proof of address.

For on-campus students, you can access your residence hall address for proof of residency by signing into myDrake. Under the ‘My Drake Profile’ category, select ‘My Information’ and print out the page. According to the Secretary of State’s office, you may use this printout as your proof of residency when you go to the polls.

To learn more about voting as a college student, visit https://www.drake.edu/community/learningservice/studentopportunities/votingcivicengagement/

Questions? Reach out to Stephanie Kiel, Community Engagement Peer for Voter and Civic Engagement, at stephanie.kiel@drake.edu.

— Stephanie Kiel, AS’23