Drake University is proud to provide a tuition rebate waiver to Drake employees and their family members. This benefit reflects Drake’s commitment to lifelong learning and represents an investment in our employees and their families. This benefit extends to full-time Drake employees and their spouse/partner and dependent children. This benefit allows eligible employees and family members to take classes either at the undergraduate or graduate level with the tuition fully or partially waived (visit the website or policy for tuition waiver details). If you are employed in a full-time, regular position and are on the University payroll the first day of classes of a semester or summer term, you and your eligible family members can take advantage of this benefit.

Through the Tuition Rebate Waiver benefit program, all full-time regular employees may carry a maximum of eight credit hours during each fall and spring semester, and no more than eight credit hours during the interim and summer terms, combined. Besides the employee, up to two persons, either one spouse/partner and one dependent child or two dependent children, are eligible to take classes through this benefit.

As a reminder, employees are required to submit the tuition rebate waiver form prior to the beginning of each semester that the benefit is used. Additionally, employees, spouses/partners, or dependents who are pursuing undergraduate degrees at Drake University are required to complete the FAFSA prior to July 1. If you have questions about the FAFSA requirement, please contact Student Financial Planning at 515–271–2905 or financialaid@drake.edu. Questions about the Tuition Rebate Waiver benefit can be directed to HR by emailing us at drakehr@drake.edu.

— Debra Wiley, Human Resources

To better assist our employees manage through this year, Drake University amended its FSA plans to permit prospective mid-year health care and/or dependent care election changes. Through the end of this calendar year, employees may:

• Elect to participate in Drake’s health care and/or dependent care FSA plans – even if they previously have waived the benefit.
• Elect to terminate current participation in Drake’s health care and/or dependent care FSA plans.
• Increase or decrease current health care and/or dependent care elections.

Please note: you cannot increase contribution amounts to pay for expenses that have already been incurred. Increased contributions must be used for the remaining portion of the 2021 calendar year. Increased election amounts will be deducted throughout the remainder of the calendar year beginning with the first payroll after the election is made. Contribution limits for the 2021 calendar year are as follows:

Health Care FSA (2021)

Minimum Contribution:  $120                           Maximum Contribution:  $2750

 Dependent Care FSA (2021)

Minimum Contribution:  $300                           Maximum Contribution:  $10,500

Additionally, health care FSA participants may carry over up to $550 of unreimbursed contributions to the 2022 calendar year. To make changes to your current (2021) FSA participation, please complete and return the FSA Mid-year Change Form to  drakehr@drake.edu   As always, should you have questions regarding your benefits, please feel free to directly contact marlene.heuertz@drake.edu.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Bulldogs United In Learning Drake (BUILD) is a learning and development series available to faculty and staff who wish to enhance their professional skills, improve their wellbeing, and expand their boundaries.

Human Resources would like to thank those who provided suggestions for future BUILD training topics. Your input helped guide our class offerings this academic year.

Here is a sneak peek into the Fall 2021 schedule:

• We’ve added three more Microsoft classes this fall – Teams Calling, Teams Channels and Files, and Teams Forms. In addition, Christine Marchand, institutional research and academic compliance coordinator, will facilitate two Qualtrics classes.
• If you need a little relaxation break, we are offering three virtual 30-minute mindfulness classes over lunch. Each covers a unique mindfulness technique.
• Danielle Green, director, Student Counseling Center, will lead a discussion that focuses on the stress and anxiety you may be feeling as we return to campus, and ways to combat it.
• Maureen De Armond, executive director, HR, will present three classes this fall, including a class that focuses on tools for identifying and combating pandemic fatigue.
• We are holding both an active shooter training session and a self-defense class, facilitated by Scott Law, executive director, Public Safety and Operational Services.
• For those needing healthy eating ideas, join our on-campus dietitian Samantha Matt, as she leads a session on healthy eating, cooking, and shopping tips.
• And learn more about what you do best and how to apply your personal strengths to your personal and professional life in our two-part Strength Finders course. Kristin Economos, director of student leadership programs, will present.

We are still adding classes and already have a great list of topics for this spring, including time management, CPR, leading hybrid teams, social media best practices, implicit bias, an anti-racism capacity-building workshop, reducing screen time, STEM Hub at Drake, and much more.

The complete Fall 2021 BUILD schedule will be available on myDrake by the end of the week.

To register for a class, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Another academic year is upon us! With it will come a rush of student employee hires. To help onboard new student employees, here are some reminders:

Student Employment Registration Form: To be eligible for student employment positions this fall, students must be registered for employment. We encourage supervisors of student employees to complete the Student Employment Registration Form at the time of hire. This form is used to create the online student timesheets—not completed registration form, no paycheck.

I-9s & W-4s: Students who have never worked on campus before may complete the employment paperwork (consisting of the I-9 and W4s) either at the Student Services Center (located in Olmsted, open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or by appointment with Human Resources by emailing student.employment@drake.edu.  Students must show appropriate identification from the List of Acceptable Documents to complete the I-9. To comply with federal law, I-9s must be completed within 3 business days of the date of hire of their employee. If this is not done, we will be in violation of federal law. Additionally, the student will be prohibited from working until the I-9 is completed.

Consider this a learning opportunity! Drake students who work on campus should understand the I-9 and W-4 processes by the time they graduate—we owe them that! Assuring they understand the necessity and importance of these steps should be viewed as part of the mentoring process. We encourage you to take time to coach them on these matters and assure that these documents are completed right away.

Expectations: Those supervising student employees are also encouraged to assure that basic on-boarding steps are taken with the students. Have you discussed expectations for interacting with others? Recording hours? Consider using Drake’s Core Values to frame your onboarding conversation with them.

— Anthony Leto, Human Resources

Drake University’s Employee Assistance Program through Employee and Family Resources (EFR) is continuing their free monthly webinar series on Aug. 26 with Welcome Back, Kind Of: The Age of Starting Over. The webinar addresses this question: Are you prepared for the seas of emotion you and your co-workers may experience as a result of the new and different practices and expectations in many workplaces post-pandemic? The webinar will explore how to shift your mindset and the different ways you can adapt to thrive.

And don’t forget to check out the full list of past EFR webinars available on demand. Topics range from healthy eating, sleep, and financial tips to fresh perspectives on personal growth.

In addition to webinars, EFR offers a variety of employee support resources, including counseling and coaching sessions.  You may reach EFR by phone (800-327-4692) or visit their website. EFR is a great benefit for Drake employees and their family members. All EFR benefits are confidential and available 24/7/365.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

August is National Wellness Month. Here are Griff II’s top five tips for promoting self-care, managing stress, and promoting healthy routines.

Drink More Water: Whether canine or human, hydration is important for the mind and body—especially during the dog days of summer. Water is key to digestion, moving nutrients through your body, lubricating your joints, helping keep your skin clear, and can help with weight loss—if that is a goal of yours.

Play Outside More: Fresh air is good for the body and mind. Spending time in nature has been shown to lower blood pressure and heart rate, manage stress, improve memory, and elevate your mood.

Go for a W-A-L-K: Walking is simple, free, and it benefits you in many ways–it benefits your mental health, helps manage weight, gives you more energy, and assists with pain management. If you are not a regular walker, now is a great time to start. Just a 30 minute walk a day will render benefits.

Take a BIIIIIIG Stretch: Griff II strongly recommends that you start each day with a good stretch. Regular stretching helps preserve mobility, keeps your muscles flexible, and protects your joints and muscles from injury. Griff II suggests, and experts at Harvard Medical School agree, you focus on your lower extremities (calves, hamstrings, hip flexors in the pelvis and quadriceps in the front of the thigh).

Take a Snooze: Sleep plays a huge factor in our mental and physical well-being. Making sure you get enough sleep will help you keep your weight steady, reduce your risk of depression, help manage anxiety, keep your memory sharp, and your immune system strong. Griff II recommends you maintain a pattern of going to bed at night and getting up in the morning around the same time every day. We’re creatures of habit—this is a good habit to cultivate.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Employees who participated in Drake’s Health Plan between Sept. 1, 2015, through Oct. 16, 2020, may be eligible to receive payment from a Blue Cross Blue Shield class action settlement.  If you are an eligible class member, you will be contacted by JND Legal Administration.

If you think you may be an eligible class member or have questions regarding this class action settlement, please contact JND Legal Administration:

Website: www.BCBSsettlement.com
Email: info@BCBSsettlement.com
Phone: (888) 681-1142
Address: Blue Cross Blue Shield Settlement
c/o JND Legal Administration
P.O. Box 91390
Seattle, WA 98111

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Polk County is offering a vaccine lottery to help boost COVID-19 vaccination rates.  From June 15 through Aug. 22 individuals who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson) can register at ImmunizePolk.org for a chance to win prizes.

If an individual’s name is drawn, they will receive a cash prize once they are fully vaccinated (2 doses of Pfizer/Moderna or 1 dose of Johnson & Johnson).  Participants must be 18 years of age or older and residents of Polk County.

Cash prize drawings will be held weekly starting June 25. Every Friday 10 $1,000 prizes will be drawn, and every other Friday one $50,000 prize and one $5,000 scholarship in addition to the 10 $1,000 prizes will be drawn.

For more details, go to ImmunizePolk.org.

As a reminder, all Iowans 12 years of age and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The University strongly encourages any member of the Drake community who qualifies for immunization to receive it as soon as possible.

Faculty and staff should submit documentation showing completion of their vaccination series to contacttracing@drake.edu. The University is monitoring vaccination rates on campus and in the surrounding community as it makes decisions related to COVID-19 policies for the summer and fall.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

As a reminder, employees on Drake’s health plan who complete an annual physical with a Primary Care Provider (PCP) will receive a reduction in their health insurance premiums.

To receive the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2022, employees on Drake’s health plan need to complete a physical with a Primary Care Provider (PCP) between Dec. 1, 2020, and Nov. 30, 2021, and submit a Physician Exam Completion Form by Dec. 2, 2021.  This is the only option to receive the discount in 2022.

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.

If you have not scheduled your annual physical yet with your primary care provider, you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

Please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu with questions.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

As communicated in an email to campus on May 19, Old Main is currently running on a back-up generator due to a bad transformer. As a result, Human Resources will have limited in-person office hours from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. through Tuesday, June 1.

Human Resources can be reached anytime during business hours (8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) through Microsoft Teams, phone, and email.

For questions, contact drakehr@drake.edu. 

— Debra Wiley, Human Resources