Please join All Staff Council to pack meals at Meals from the Heartland on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 2:30–4:30 p.m., located at 357 Lincoln Street in West Des Moines. If you haven’t done so yet, you may use a portion of your annual Community Service Leave for this volunteer event.

Please register here to participate.

— Courtney Conrad, On behalf of All Staff Council

All Drake faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to nominate a colleague for the 2024 Madelyn M. Levitt Distinguished Community Service and Employee Excellence Awards.

Madelyn M. Levitt established the Distinguished Community Service Award to recognize the outstanding contributions of Drake faculty and staff to the Drake community. Recipients are chosen on the following criteria:

• A demonstrated personal commitment to volunteerism and community service
• An outstanding record of leadership or substantial involvement in community projects, services and activities contributing to the quality of life in our region, state, and/or the nation
• Professional and personal values and behavior that typify the ideals of “giving back to others” and “making a difference in the lives of others”

The nominee must be a current faculty or staff member with at least five years of service at Drake.

The Employee Excellence Award is presented to a staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in the performance of their duties. Criteria for the award includes:

• Exceptional performance as an employee of Drake University
• Outstanding dedication to providing courteous, prompt and quality service
• Demonstrated commitment to University programs, initiatives, and services
• Professional values and behavior that demonstrate exceptional service to others and a commitment to Drake University

The nominee must be a current staff member with at least one year of service at Drake.

To nominate a colleague, submit a letter of nomination to Human Resources. Nomination letters may be sent through campus mail or electronically to drakehr@drake.edu.  The subject line should read “Madelyn M. Levitt Award Nomination”.  The letter should detail specific examples of how the nominee exemplifies each of the applicable criteria. Additional letters of support are not necessary.  Nominations are due to Human Resources by Friday, March 1.

For additional information, please contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Please join us for this month’s Provost’s Social on Thursday, Jan. 25, in the Cowles Library Reading Room beginning at 3:45 p.m.

Refreshments will include an assortment of beverages and light snacks. This is a family friendly event. Feel free to bring your children or partner.

— Madison Bemus, Office of the Provost

The Drake Principal Center for Global Citizenship is currently accepting nominations from Drake faculty and staff for the 2024 Principal Global Citizenship Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum on the part of faculty or staff.

The selected awardee will receive a plaque and a stipend of up to $3,000. A screening committee, appointed by the Provost, reviews all nominations and makes recommendations to the Provost.

A letter of nomination should be submitted recommending an individual for the award and explaining the context and manner in which the nominator has come to know the faculty or staff member:

Pursuant to the University’s mission to prepare students for “responsible global citizenship,” this letter must also explain how the nominee has made outstanding contributions toward at least one of the following priority areas:

• High impact global learning
• A globally-engaged campus
• Access to global opportunities
• Enhanced global and intercultural competency (students)
• Increased global and intercultural capacity (faculty and staff)

The nominee must be a faculty or staff members in their fourth year of service at the University, at minimum. The nominee cannot have won this award within the past five years. Faculty and staff members who work directly for Global Engagement are ineligible.

Nominees who indicate a willingness to be considered will be invited to submit a CV and a statement discussing their contributions to the above goals. One or two additional letters of support from faculty, staff or students will be accepted; this is optional.

Any individual who was nominated for the award in the preceding year may be re-nominated if the nominator resubmits a letter offering the individual for consideration this year. A record of previous nominees is maintained for two years. If a faculty or staff member is re-nominated, the nominator will be invited to review the file from the previous year to ensure that the nomination details are current.

The nomination period closes on Friday, February 11, 2024. Nomination letters should be submitted via this online form.

Questions may be directed to Annique Kiel, Executive Director for Global Engagement and International Programs.

Please join All Staff Council packaging meals at Meals from the Heartland on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 2:30–4:30 p.m., located at 357 Lincoln Street in West Des Moines. If you haven’t done so yet, you may use a portion of your annual Community Service Leave for this volunteer event.

Please register here to participate.

— Courtney Conrad, On behalf of All Staff Council

Drake reimburses mileage for the use of personal automobiles by employees for actual miles driven during business travel, not gas receipts. The reimbursement rate is based on the current standard mileage rate issued by the Internal Revenue Service.

Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the standard mileage rate issued by the IRS for the use of a car will be: $.67 cents per business mile driven, up 1.5 cents from 2023.

The standard mileage rate is evaluated annually by the IRS and is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. If you have any questions regarding the reimbursable mileage rate, visit the IRS website or contact Accounting at accounting@drake.edu.

—Jenifer Baugher, Accounting

All Staff Council and Human Resources invite faculty and staff to attend this week’s Holiday Cheer gathering on Friday, Dec. 15, near the Pomerantz stage in the Olmsted Center. You are welcome to come and go as you please between 9 and 11 a.m.

Relax and enjoy some tasty holiday treats and beverages with friends and colleagues. Stop by and say hi to Griff II or better yet, get your picture taken with him in your holiday attire. And if you bring at least one non-perishable food or other goods for Drake’s Free Little Food Pantries, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a prize.

This event is a chance to give back to others in the Drake community, while mingling with coworkers.  Please take a moment to stop by, grab some cheer, and drop off a donation.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Welcome back to the Student Success spotlight, an opportunity to recognize the people and resources that make a difference in Drake students’ lives. Each week, we’ll shine a light on the outstanding individuals and initiatives that contribute to the success and growth of our community.

This week features Rachel Allen-McHugh, assistant professor in Drake’s occupational therapy doctorate program. This fall, with help from a grant provided by Dr. Richard Deming to The Ones campaign, Professor Allen-McHugh’s OTD 207 course facilitated wellness sessions for Lutheran Services of Iowa’s refugee community group.

About the wellness sessions project:

As part of the OTD 207 Health, Wellness, and Well-Being Course work, first year OTD students partnered with LSI’s refugee community group to provide sessions on eight different dimensions of well-being, such as stress reduction, gratitude, fall prevention, and nutrition.

Highlights:

LSI has been a fabulous community partner. We had excellent communication, and the group was so welcoming and excited to spend an hour with Drake OTD students on Tuesday mornings. Most weeks, we had over 30 participants – most of the refugee community attending LSI.

Project background and inspiration:

Community engagement is always a consideration for me when I am designing my courses. A ‘Wellness Booth’ for Drake undergrads had been a component of OTD 207 for several years. I wanted to enhance this activity by having OTD students work with a population beyond campus. I was contacted by LSI during the summer to share information and education on exercise and general wellness. This community engagement opportunity seemed like the perfect fit to meet LSI’s needs. It allowed the Drake OTD students to share beneficial information while also building skills and gaining the experience of working with interpreters.

My Favorite things about teaching and advising at Drake:

The OTD program, and the Drake College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in general, value community engagement and the student experience. Our students state that early application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom helps them build competence and confidence. Drake students also value the ability to give back to the community. I love to support students in becoming occupational therapists and applying their new skills in real life’ situations such as the LSI refugee program.

Do you have an idea for a student-centered service project? Apply for a Deming Mini-Grant! Faculty, staff, and student groups are encouraged to apply for up to $2500 to assist with implementation of projects that spark joy while allowing students to serve communities beyond our campus. Contact Mallary Allen, Director of Community Engaged Learning, for more information.

— Melissa Sturm-Smith, Academic Excellence and Student Success