The Drake University Home Incentive Purchase Plan provides financial support to full-time Drake employees who purchase an owner-occupied, single-family dwelling in the Drake neighborhood. Drake University will provide up to $3,500 for reimbursement of loan origination fees and/or closing costs for purchases made adjacent to campus. View additional information about the program, including applicable boundaries.
— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources
If you are ready to quit smoking but need some help, the American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking program may be the answer. This free, at-work program features a step-by-step quit plan. Participants will meet once a week for eight weeks. Each class is 60- to 90-minutes long. The group format encourages individuals to work on the quit process both individually and as a group. Four to 10 participants are needed to hold a series.
For more information, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
For those who wish to train for a 5K, 10K, or half marathon, Fleet Feet is offering spring training group programs. Their groups are led by certified coaches and supported by volunteer mentors.
The spring half marathon and 10K informational open houses were held Monday, Jan. 27, and their training program begins Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. at Fleet Feet. Even if you missed Monday’s informational meeting, you are still welcome to join. The 5K informational open house is Monday, March 9, at 6 p.m. at Fleet Feet, with training beginning Tuesday, March 10, at 6 p.m.
The half marathon and 10K training programs are 12 weeks with 24 training sessions. The 5K is a 10-week program (20 training sessions). The goal race for the half marathon and 10K is the Drake Road Race on April 19, 2020.
Fleet Feet is offering Drake employees a $25 discount to participate in their programs. With the discount the training program costs are $100 for the half marathon and $50 for either the 10K or 5K programs.
For more information, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
If you are ready to quit smoking but need some help, the American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking program may be the answer. This free, at-work program features a step-by-step quit plan. Participants will meet once a week for eight weeks. Each class is 60- to 90-minutes long. The group format encourages individuals to work on the quit process both individually and as a group. Four to 10 participants are needed to hold a series.
For more information, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
If you get confused by all the studies and theories on nutrition and want to improve what you consume, join the Eat Right for Life challenge. This five-week program begins Feb. 10. During the challenge you will be asked to read one chapter a week from the book Eat Right for Life by Ann G. Kulze, M.D. and take a short survey to assess your current eating habits. Then select a nutrition goal for the week from a list provided and track your progress. Along the way you will receive weekly emails with resources and tips. To register for this challenge, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
We all experience stress in our lives. It comes from many sources, positive and negative. And although short-term stress may heighten your senses and help you in a crisis, chronic prolonged stress can have a negative effect on your physical and mental health.
Join Danielle Green, director of the Student Counseling Center, on Feb. 12 from 2–3 p.m. in the Olmsted Center, Rooms 310–311, as she discusses stress, how it impacts us, how to cope with it, and how to make it your friend. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hr-build-stress-management-tickets-83694084259 or send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
In 2019 we took a closer look at the faculty & staff wellness program, including biometric screenings, to determine best practices as it relates to the well-being of our staff. Aggregate reports indicated that wellness program biometric screenings did not significantly improved health measures for organizations’ participants. While screenings identify basic health risks, employees may or may not follow up with a physician for treatment of any conditions or issue detected in the screening. Biometric screenings are also limited in scope while annual physicals cover a wider array of physical and mental health conditions, including a review of health history, medications, vaccinations, mental health symptoms, and scheduling of recommended preventative screenings.
Articles were placed in OnCampus and HR Monthly explaining potential changes to the wellness premium incentive program. After carefully reviewing the comments,the decision has been made to move forward with a physician only option in 2020.
Those employees wishing to participate in the wellness program and receive the reduced premium for the 2021 plan year will need to complete an annual physical with a primary care doctor between Dec. 1, 2019, and Nov. 30, 2020, and submit the attached Physician Exam Completion Form by Dec. 2, 2020.
We extended our timeline for receiving a physical back to Dec. 1, 2019, to include those employees with December physicals. Any employee who completed their physical last December should have their physician fill out the attached Physician Completion Form and return it to the Drake Human Resources Office, attention Linda Feiden.
The on-campus UnityPoint screening and Hy-Vee screening option will no longer be available. Also, we will continue to offer voluntary on campus screenings with the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, but they will not take the place of the annual physical with a primary care provider.
Should you have questions, please contact Linda Feiden in Human Resources at linda.feiden@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
The next Weight Watchers at Work series begins Jan. 29. Meetings are held Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in Cartwright Hall. This includes a 15-minute confidential weigh-in period followed by a 30-minute class. Cost is $158.10 for the 17-week series.
If you are interested in joining, please email Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu by Friday, Jan. 17.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
If you are ready to quit smoking but need some help, the American Lung Association’s Freedom from Smoking program may be the answer. This free, at-work program features a step-by-step quit plan. Participants will meet once a week for eight weeks. Each class is 60- to 90-minutes long. The group format encourages individuals to work on the quit process both individually and as a group. Four to 10 participants are needed to hold a series.
For more information, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Please join HR in welcoming six new, full-time Drake University employees for the month of December 2019.
Christine (Chris) Bass, Office of the Registrar, Veterans Advisor / School Official
Mohamed Farghaly, Public Safety, Campus Public Safety Officer
Gabriel (Gabe) Henderson, Public Safety, Campus Public Safety Officer
Alyssa Caldbeck, Head Start, Mental Health Consultant
Richard (Rick) Spellerberg, Business & Public Administration, Data Analytics Coordinator
Tanner Leth-Nissen, Athletics, Assistant Director, Relays Event Production