Last week’s Pi-NGO, hosted by All Staff Council and Human Resources, was a great success. Participants enjoyed free pizza pies, multiple rounds of BINGO, and dessert pies for the winners.  Thank you to everyone who attended.

This event is part of Employee Appreciation Month — a great reminder to take time to reflect and find ways to show gratitude to your teams for their hard work, dedication, and effort throughout the year.

Human Resources would like to continue to show our appreciation by inviting everyone to take a break and join us for Faculty/Staff Recess on Tuesday, March 28, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Bell Center, Courts 1 & 2.  Play nine holes of miniature golf, try pickleball, or challenge a colleague to a game of cornhole (bags).  And test your hula hooping skills for a chance at prizes. All equipment will be provided.

Finally, thank you for everything you do to live Drake’s core values, in caring for our students and each other, every day.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

As many employees know, when we adopt a new policy or make substantial changes to an existing policy, we post the drafts on the Policy Development Page, so the Drake community can share its thoughts.

While there is a long list of policies slowly being reviewed by Drake Human Resources, we have three ready for comment.

First, Drake HR was asked a while back by All Staff Council to take a look at the Staff Learning and Development Leave policy as it was viewed as being perhaps too vague to give the reader the idea of what kinds of leave might permissibly fall under the policy. We worked to add some more detail and examples in hopes of the policy being more informative. The updated (clean) version is posted for comment.

Second, while working on updating the faculty recruitment process, we heard from deans that the University’s Relocation Expense Reimbursement Policy would benefit from some updates and additional flexibility. Working with Finance, we are posting a revised (clean) version of that policy for comment.

Lastly, Drake’s Non-Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policy needed a few tweaks. It coexists with Drake’s Sexual Harassment Policy and the two had been revised and edited in slightly different ways over the years. We needed to bring them into greater alignment. We are posting the redlined and proposed version of the policy, so readers can see the proposed changes.

If you have comments on any of these three policies, please use the comment function through the Policy Development Page. These policies will remain posted for comment through Friday, April 7, 2023.

Drake HR is also working on reviewing a number of leave policies. This review has been very slow due to competing priorities, but we are making an effort to get back to those prior to the close of the spring semester. If you are aware of a HR policy in need of review or adoption, please let us know at drakehr@drake.edu.

— Maureen De Armond, Human Resources

Many people start the year out by getting their annual physical.  If that sounds like you and you are on Drake’s health plan, don’t forget to take a copy of the Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form to your appointment. This form can be found on myDrake under the Employee Wellness section of Human Resources.

Those on Drake’s health plan who complete a physical with their PCP between Dec. 1, 2022 and Nov. 30, 2023 and submit a Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form  to linda.feiden@drake.edu by Nov. 30, 2023, will receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2024, which is a savings of approximately $30 per month. 

If you already had your physical since Dec. 1, 2022, please fill out the form and turn it in now.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

As part of Employee Appreciation Month, Human Resources is adding one Drake trivia question in each issue of OnCampus in March.  The first person who correctly answers the question will receive $10 in Bulldog Bucks.  Answers should be submitted to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

Question of the week: Drake University was the first team in the state of Iowa to make an appearance in a college football bowl game. They beat Fresno State 13 to 12 in 1946.  What was the name of the bowl they appeared in?

As part of Employee Appreciation Month, Human Resources is encouraging everyone to submit a shout-out for a faculty, staff, or student employee. Simply write a sentence of appreciation for a colleague and submit it to Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu. The deadline to submit a shout-out is Thursday, March 23.

Read some of the shout-outs submitted this week!

“A shout-out to Laure Fredenburg:  She has gone above and beyond in communicating with me through a scholarship program process.  I had daily questions and she got back to me quickly and cheerfully!  She is absolutely amazing!” – Amanda Martin

“A shout-out to Will Storm for the great work he is doing to clean-up the alumni & development database!” – Pam Pepper

“A shout-out to Julie Purscell for all her great help with our Records Room transition.” – Pam Pepper

“A shout-out to Kathy Veach and Cathy Hoch in Finance for all of their help with our Records Room transition.” – Pam Pepper

“A shout-out to our Advancement Officers for their great work towards The Ones: Drake’s Campaign for the Brave & Bold.” – Pam Pepper

“A shout-out to Thad Smull for all of the day-in/day-out work he does that truly makes a difference!” – Pam Pepper

“A shout-out to our Annual Fund team and our UCM team for their great work on our 24-hour giving campaign – All In!” – Pam Pepper

“A shout-out to Jessica Armstrong for her skill with data and her patience in working with people with that data.  She’s a great colleague!” – Christine Marchand

“A shout-out to Judy Jones:  Judy has come into assessment with gusto! Judy’s energy is boundless and contagious.” – Christine Marchand

“A shout-out to Kevin Moenkhaus for his prompt and accurate work.  He’s always willing to share his expertise and knows exactly what it is you’re asking for, even if you aren’t sure.  He’s great to work with!” – Christine Marchand

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

National Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, March 3, and we are celebrating YOU! Recognizing and celebrating employees’ great work—not only on this day but every day of the year—speaks to our core values.  Take time to reflect and find ways to show gratitude to your team for their hard work, dedication, and effort on this day, this month, and throughout the year.

To help show our appreciation, Human Resources and All Staff Council invite you to take a break and join us for the following Employee Appreciation Month events in March.

Pi-NGO! (BINGO)
Join All Staff Council and Human Resources on Tuesday, March 14, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Parents Hall South, Olmsted Center to celebrate National Pi Day with free pizza pies and BINGO.  This is a family-friendly event and winners will receive baked pie goods.  Griff II will be in attendance for part of the festivities and would love to take a photo with you.  Pizza is available while it lasts so get there early.

Faculty/Staff Recess
When we were kids, recess was a part of our day, but as adults we don’t take time to play.  As part of employee appreciation month, we invite faculty and staff to take a break from work on Tuesday, March 28, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and join us in the Bell Center Courts 1 & 2 for recess! Play nine holes of miniature golf, try pickleball, or challenge a colleague to a game of cornhole (bags). And test your hula hooping skills for a chance at prizes. All equipment will be provided.

Give a shout-out
In addition, we have brought back the popular Shout-Out program for Employee Appreciation Month. This is a great way to recognize your colleagues. Simply write a sentence or two thanking a colleague or team for going the extra mile or showing support to others. Submit your shout-outs to linda.feiden@drake.edu between now and March 23, and they will be compiled and posted in OnCampus.

Griff II high-five
And watch your mail! All Staff Council will be sending 100 lucky staff members a magnet this week with a picture of Griff II ‘high-fiving’ you.  This is a way to say, “We see you, and we appreciate you.” If you receive one, keep it for a few days, then pass it along to another colleague who also deserves a high-five. The magnets can be handed off again and again, with the hopes of reaching as many of Drake’s amazing staff members as possible.

Please take some time this month to let others know you appreciate their efforts and know that your efforts are appreciated every day!

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

All Drake faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to nominate a colleague for the 2023 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. The criteria to be eligible for this award can be found here.

The Employee Excellence Award is presented to a staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in the performance of their duties. The criteria to be eligible for this award can be found here.

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 3.

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

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

February is American Heart Month—a great time to be reminded about the importance of practicing heart-healthy habits. Not so fun fact: every 36 seconds in the U.S. someone dies from cardiovascular disease, and heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.

Do you know your risks? Risk factors include smoking, inactivity, high blood pressure, obesity/overweight, high cholesterol, and family history of heart disease. Although you can’t fix family history, no matter your age, you can take simple steps to lower your risk for a heart attack or stroke.

Know your numbers. Get your annual physical and review your medical conditions with your primary care physician. This includes controlling your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar levels and weight.

Choose healthy foods and beverages. Add some heart-healthy recipes into your day and reduce the amount of sodium, sugar, and bad fats from your diet.

Get moving. Regular physical activity is a must for all ages. It could be as simple as walking more and sitting less. And don’t forget to add some resistance training. Moving your body has benefits beyond a healthy heart. It can help reduce stress, keep your joints healthy and improve brain function.

If you smoke – QUIT.  There are several online resources to help you reach this goal.

If you want to get started toward a healthier heart but don’t know where to begin, follow this 28-Days Toward a Healthy Heart chart.  These small steps could make a giant leap in your health!

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The DU Well Mystery Challenge begins Wednesday, Feb. 8, and combines a team step competition with solving a series of whodunit mysteries and riddles.  This four-week challenge is a fun way to improve you wellbeing in 2023.

Put together your team of 2–6 players and send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu today to register.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources