All posts by Linda Feiden

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.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Staff Archive

All Staff Council open positions

Following the spring elections for the Drake All Staff Council, additional opportunities have become available. The following positions and committee members are needed for the 2024–2025 year.

All Staff Council is a good way to network with other campus staff and work to help promote a positive and collaborative campus work environment. If you are classified as a staff member, interested, and committed to serving, please contact Kevin Saunders, 2024–2025 ASC chair, at kevin.saunders@drake.edu.

Executive Committee, Chair-Elect

Members of the Executive Committee (chair and chair-elect) conduct the monthly Executive Board meetings, help to coordinate efforts of the committees, and respond to issues or recommendations brought forth by members. The chair-elect provides support for meeting minutes and agendas. The chair-elect will serve as chair in the following term.

Governance Committee

The Governance / Policy Committee finalizes the structure of the ASC by developing rules. This committee conducts yearly elections and attends to any rules changes, recommendations, or policies proposed.

Special Interest Committee

The Special Interest Committee explores initiatives, questions, and/or concerns presented to All Staff Council through research, planning, and collaboration with appropriate offices on campus.

For more information on the All Staff Council visit https://drakeedu.sharepoint.com/sites/AllStaffCouncil.

— Ryan Harris, on behalf of All Staff Council

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Collaborate contract expiring July 1

The ITS contract with Class Collaborate, formerly Blackboard Collaborate, expires July 1. If you’ve previously used or have been planning to use Collaborate, it won’t be available after July 1. Our Zoom institutional license is available as an alternative and integrated into Blackboard Learn courses. 

To save any recordings you made with Collaborate, download them before July 1 and upload into Panopto. To ask questions or request assistance with this transition, visit the ITS service portal at service.drake.edu/its and submit an Academic Technology Consultation ticket. 

— Becky Klein, ITS

 

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Ice cream week July 9–13

Ice cream week is coming! From July 9–13, Provost Mattison invites you to gather some colleagues, take a walk down to Black Cat Ice Cream on Cottage Grove, and enjoy a free cup or cone of one of their amazing ice cream or sorbet flavors.

You can pick up your ticket for one free cup at the Provost’s Office in Old Main from July 9–12.

— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost

Campus Announcements Archive

June group fitness classes

Every Tuesday and Thursday in June, Gail Witte will be teaching Functional Fitness from 12:15–12:45 p.m. Functional Fitness is a dynamic and versatile training program designed to improve your everyday life through exercises that mimic real-life movements. By focusing on movements that you perform daily, such as lifting, pushing, pulling, and twisting, Functional Fitness aims to enhance your strength, balance, coordination, and flexibility. This approach not only builds muscle and burns fat but also increases your overall mobility and reduces the risk of injury.

— Gail Witte, Recreational Services

HR Information Archive

Time to play HealthyU BINGO

Join us in July for HealthyU BINGO.  The goal is to fill up a blank BINGO card (or two), during the month, with healthy activities completed from a provided list, and then play some games of HealthyU BINGO for prizes.

To get started, send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu. Deadline to register is Friday, June 28.  All participants will receive a packet that includes a list of HealthyU BINGO activities and a blank BINGO card.  You are welcome to make copies for your family.  This is a fun activity that you can share with them.

Please feel free to contact Linda Feiden with questions.

 — Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Welcome Mandela Washington Fellows at reception

Drake is proud to host 25 Mandela Washington Fellows as part of the Young African Leaders Initiative for six weeks this summer. Join us to welcome the Fellows at a reception at the start of their time on Drake’s campus.

The Drake community, along with those partners who will be interacting with the Fellows during their time here are welcome to attend. The Reception will be held Tuesday, June 25, at 4:45 p.m. in Parents Hall South in the Olmsted Student Center.

Please contact yali@drake.edu with any questions regarding this reception or the program in general.

— Sara Heijerman, Student Services Center

HR Information Archive

Check out the Summer 2024 DU Well newsletter

The summer 2024 edition of the DU Well newsletter is now posted.  Please take a few minutes to check it out.  It highlights upcoming wellness events, discusses relevant wellbeing topics and health observances, tests your trivia knowledge, shares fun recipes, and challenges you to try a healthy change.

If you have ideas for future editions, please feel free to contact us at drakehr@drake.edu, using the subject line, DU Well newsletter.

You can explore other ways Drake supports employee wellness on our DU Well webpage, including information about our Employee Assistance Program, the Wellness Premium Discount, and much more.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

News & Achievements Archive

Drake Law’s legal writing program ranked 11 in the nation

Drake University Law School has been named among the best legal writing programs in the country in U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 rankings of accredited law schools. This year, Drake’s legal writing program is ranked eleventh in the nation and tied with the University of Michigan for best in the Midwest. The Law School is often recognized for the strength of its legal writing program, consistently ranking among the top 20 in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools.”

Drake Law School equips students with the legal writing and research skills they need to succeed in the profession. “We have always been proud of our legal writing program,” said Drake Law Dean Jerry Anderson, “and this ranking is evidence of our continuing strength and leadership in this area. Our mission is to prepare ‘complete professionals’ and the ability to communicate effectively and present precise legal analysis are key components of any successful legal career,” said Anderson.

Drake’s legal writing faculty members, Professors Melissa Weresh and Danielle Shelton, are respected leaders in their field who continually engage with other professionals and ensure that Drake’s program is up to date and meets the standards of legal education. Last fall, Drake hosted the 2023 Central States Legal Writing Conference in September. The theme, Embracing New Challenges and Opportunities: Ready for Impact, explored how current trends such as student and faculty wellness, ABA Standard 303, and ChatGPT can enhance teaching and student development.

Professor Weresh has long been a leader in the legal writing community. She was awarded the 2023 Association of Legal Writing Directors’ (ALWD) Linda Berger Award for Excellence in Legal Writing Scholarship. Professor Weresh emphasizes the collaborative approach taken by the Drake faculty, noting “For many years the legal writing faculty have worked closely and effectively with one another to ensure that our students have excellent training in legal communication. Like the team-based learning approach we employ in the classroom, we enjoy a strong sense of collegiality and cooperation with one another.”

Professor Danielle Shelton, who graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School, has taught Legal Writing at Drake since 2003 and uses her background as a litigator to contribute to Drake’s rigorous legal writing program. Professor Shelton was recently awarded the Madelyn M. Levitt Distinguished Community Service Award for her work in advocating for marginalized communities, evidenced by her efforts to overturn unfavorable court orders affecting victims’ rights, drafting legislation to address legal gaps, promoting inclusivity for victims with mental disabilities through research and legislative advocacy, actively supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Drake Law, and dedicating extensive volunteer service to animal welfare organizations.

Of Drake’s legal writing program, Professor Shelton says, “Drake is committed to creating practice-ready lawyers—lawyers who can effectively represent clients from Day 1 out of law school. Strong legal writing skills play a crucial role in that, and our legal writing program teaches students the fundamentals and rigors of how lawyers write.”

In the overall U.S News rankings, Drake Law continues to climb, reaching its highest ranking ever (#82) in this year’s list.

 — Taylor Johnson, Law School

Campus Announcements Archive

Electrical shutdown notice

Construction on the Johansen Student Center (formerly Morehouse Hall) is continuing as planned.  Significant upgrades to the main electrical service to the building are part of the project. To bring the new Johansen Student Center electrical equipment on-line, there will be an electrical shutdown on June 11 from 6 p.m. to midnight for the following buildings: Olmsted Center, Aliber Hall, Meredith Hall, Cowles Library, and the Johansen Student Center (Morehouse). No access or use of these buildings will be permitted during this time.

— Heather Winslow, Capital Projects, Facilities Planning & Management