Drake University strives to maintain a safe campus to reduce workplace injuries, but even the most comprehensive risk management policies & procedures can’t prevent all accidents. If you are hurt at work, follow these easy steps to ensure you get the care you need to recover:

Let Your Supervisor Know: Your supervisor will guide you through the process to make sure you get the right care. They will submit a First Report of Injury form on your behalf.

Report the Incident: contact TeleCompCare (TCC) nurse triage at 866-323-4227 (24 hours a day/365 days a year) right away – a trained medical worker will evaluate your symptoms and advise you of the appropriate next steps.

When calling, reference Policyholder Name: Drake University and TCC Number: 100311.  Drake’s insurance carrier for workplace injuries is United Heartland.

Seek Care If Recommended: UnityPoint Occupational Health is our Work Comp partner for employees working & living in the Des Moines Metro Area. This means an employee must seek care at the UnityPoint Occupational Health location – not just any office location. For Employees outside of Des Moines, Nurse Triage and the Risk & Insurance Office will work together to ensure you get seen for care at the right place.

Follow Your Treatment Plan: Your medical provider will provide a treatment plan for you. You may be instructed to take time off work, work with modified duties, or follow-up with a care provider. Please be sure to keep your supervisor informed of your treatment plan! Your medical team will work with Drake staff to ensure you are able to follow your treatment plan.

Work Comp incidents can be disruptive and uncomfortable, but please remember: your team is here to support you before, during, and after any workplace injury. Please contact durisk@drake.edu with any questions or concerns!

Drake HR’s Workers Comp site has additional details

— Jordan Kauffman, Human Resources

If you are looking for a way to motivate yourself to get up and move more, join this year’s Walktober step challenge.  Drake is competing with Des Moines University to see which site’s competitors can achieve the highest average step total during the month of October.  The winning site claims the Walktober traveling trophy for a year and bragging rights.  Drake has the trophy right now and we want to keep it!

You are welcome to register as an individual or create a team (adding a little internal competition to our already external one).  If you would like to participate, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.  If you are putting together a team, please include your team’s name, team captain, and team members (4–8 people per team).  Registration deadline is Friday, Sept. 25.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Bank of America (BOA) offers special banking benefits, rewards, and financial wellness options to Drake University employees. You can visit Bank of America’s webpage dedicated to Drake University employees here.  In addition, BOA offers live webinars specifically for Drake employees.

Here are their upcoming sessions:

• Raising financially savvy children | Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 10:00 AM Central https://rsvp.bankofamerica.com/event/32751
• Learn more about the Employee Banking Program | Friday, Oct. 2, 2026 10:00 AM Central  https://rsvp.bankofamerica.com/event/32752

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach is offering Powerful Tools for Caregivers, an evidence-based educational program that helps caregivers develop practical skills to reduce stress, improve communication, manage difficult emotions, and prioritize their own well-being while caring for others.

This six-week program is designed for family caregivers of adults with chronic conditions and parents or caregivers of children with special health and behavioral needs. Participants learn tools and strategies they can apply immediately to help them thrive in their caregiving role.

Learn more about upcoming classes and registration opportunities at https://go.iastate.edu/EIFSEH.  NOTE: Caregivers of cancer survivors may use the coupon code CANCERIOWA to waive the registration fee.

For more information about the program, visit the Health and Human Sciences Extension and Outreach website or contact Malisa Rader at mrader@iastate.edu or 515-708-0622.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For the remainder of 2026, Drake University faculty and staff can receive a 10% discount on membership to Blank Park Zoo. 

To purchase a discounted membership, go to https://www.blankparkzoo.com/memberships and click PURCHASE NOW. Select Zoo Memberships, complete the rest of the form, and enter the code BPZPARTNER10 at checkout.  Please note: this promotion is for Zoo memberships, no combos or joint specialty memberships.

Zoo memberships include free, unlimited daytime admission to Blank Park Zoo for one year. Members also receive 50% off admission at nearly 200 other zoos and aquariums, including: Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Kansas City Zoo. A full list of benefits and member discounts can be found on the website.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The Fall 2026 BUILD schedule is available for viewing and registration is open.  Simply click on BUILD – Upcoming Sessions for the full list, including detailed descriptions. 

Are you ready to register?  There is an online registration link to a Qualtrics survey that makes signing up easy.

Bulldogs United in Learning & Development (BUILD) is a platform for faculty and staff to learn new ideas as well as an opportunity to collaborate with others from across campus.  Most classes are only an hour in length, and many are facilitated by our own faculty and staff.

Take the time to invest in yourself, support your colleagues, and take in the culture that Drake has to offer.

— Linda Feidan, Human Resources

Managers, please encourage your new employees to attend the first available New Employee Orientation (NEO) after their employment. Either the manager or new employee can RSVP by sending an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu. Please put “NEO” in the subject line of the email.  The next available NEO session will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2, from 9–11 a.m. in Conference Rooms 310/311 of the Olmsted Center (2^nd floor).

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Employment scams are on the rise, and we want to help you stay safe during your job search. We are aware that several fraudulent postings—some impersonating Drake Career Services, Financial Aid, or Drake alumni—have been emailed directly to students. These emails often look official and may even feature the Drake logo.

Please exercise caution when applying for or accepting positions. Students are encouraged to research the employer to protect against fraudulent postings.

Here are key red flags to watch for:

• Unfamiliar Email Addresses or URLs: Always check the email address and website URL. Does something look off? The official Career Services email is career.services@drake.edu, or you may get something from your college’s career services liaison. Check Starfish to verify your liaison.
• Grammar & Typos: Spelling errors, poor grammar, or awkward phrasing are common warning signs.
• Immediate Offers: If you get an immediate job offer without going through an application or interview process or directly talking to someone from the company, it is likely a scam.
• Financial Requests: Any request that asks you to share your bank information, handle cash or credit transactions remotely, or to pay a fee prior to starting work, is a major red flag.
• “Too Good to be True”: If the pay and benefits are extremely high or seem “too good to be true,” be wary.

If you receive a suspicious email with these red flags, do not click on any links in the email. Report it immediately to ITS using the ITS Phishing Alert button. See here for how to report a phishing message.

When in doubt, don’t hesitate to reach out to your Career Services liaison to review job opportunities before taking action!

— Amanda Martin, Career Services

Looking for a fun, motivating way to stay on track with your health goals? Join us this July for HealthyU BINGO.  The goal is to fill up a blank BINGO card (or two) during the month with healthy activities that you complete from a provided list and then get together to play some games of HealthyU BINGO for prizes.

To get started, or if you have questions, contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.  All participants will receive a packet that includes a list of HealthyU BINGO activities and a blank BINGO card.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Looking for a fun way to stay on track with your health goals this summer? Join us for HealthyU BINGO this July.  The goal is to fill up a blank BINGO card (or two) during the month, with healthy activities that you complete from a provided list and then get together to play some games of HealthyU BINGO for prizes.

To get started or if you have questions, contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.  All participants will receive a packet that includes a list of HealthyU BINGO activities and a blank BINGO card.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources