Category Archives: Archive

HR Information Archive

Get Up: Stand Up

How much time do you spend sitting at your desk, commuting, and relaxing at home? Excessive sitting is directly related to heart disease, Type II Diabetes, and various cancers. Learn how to get moving throughout the day to boost your physical and emotional health. You will identify health risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle, learn ways to ‘accidentally’ exercise throughout the day, and set S.M.A.R.T. goals and strategies to increase physical activity.

Join us Feb. 8 from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Olmsted Center, Rooms 310/311 for this ‘moving’ presentation! Traci Stumbo from Employee & Family Resources will be presenting.

Participants will earn BUILD (Bulldogs United in Learning Drake) credits and be entered into drawings for prizes each semester.

The registration form for this class is accessible through blueView’s Employee tab, in the Learning and Development Channel under Human Resources, or by clicking here. Please email Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu for more information.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

HR Information Archive

Weight Watchers at Work informational session

Now is the time to take care of your most important project–YOU!
Weight Watchers at Work is holding an informational session TODAY, Monday, Jan. 23, at 12:30 p.m. in the Olmsted Center Drake Room (upper level). All interested faculty and staff are encouraged to attend.

During this meeting, a Weight Watchers instructor will go over the program and answer questions. If 15 or more employees join that day, Weight Watchers will complete everyone’s registration and collect payments, and meetings will begin the following Monday at 12:30 p.m., with weigh-ins beginning at 12:15 p.m.

The cost is $132.60 for a 12-week renewable series, which is a 15 percent savings. You may pay the full amount up front or split into three payments. Series fees are due at the informational session. You may pay with cash, credit or debit card, or check(s) made out to Weight Watchers.

If you are already a Monthly Pass or Online member, your membership can be transferred by calling 866-204-2885 and telling the operator that you are joining an At Work Meeting Series. You will need to pre-pay for the series and get an eTools voucher prior to calling.

Weekly meetings include a confidential weigh-in prior to the meeting, followed by a 30-minute class. Weight Watchers’ unique mix of face-to-face interaction with a trained leader, group support, accountability, digital tools, and the convenience of meetings in the workplace have helped participants lose as much as eight times as much weight as those who try to lose weight on their own. If you are interested in more information, please contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.

—Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Campus Announcements Archive

New chiller being installed this spring

Back in September, Facilities Planning and Management (FPM) prepared a list of future deferred maintenance projects for the campus. I am excited to announce FPM has purchased a new chiller for the east chiller loop of the campus and work will begin Jan. 23. The funding for this project was made possible from a onetime allowance from the Board of Trustees for decreasing the backlog of deferred maintenance on the campus.

The chiller project will begin with demolition of the old chiller and the cooling tower. During February, work will include structural steel install, electrical work, and new piping installs. The new chiller and cooling tower will be delivered on Feb. 28. The cooling tower startup is scheduled for March 22. The chiller start up is scheduled for April 19.

This will cause some issues in the loading dock and small parking lot located at the north end of the Harmon Fine Arts Center. A crane will be used to unload and set the new equipment, and a dumpster will be in same area for construction debris. Please email me with any concerns or issues during the completion of this project: jolene.schmidt@drake.edu

—Jolene Schmidt, Director of Operations & Support Services

Campus Announcements Archive

New location for Drake Postal Operations

Drake Postal Operations has moved to a new location. We are no longer on 24th Street. Feel free to stop in and see our new space in the lower level of the Olmsted Center. When placing orders to be shipped to Drake, please use the following addresses:

For large deliveries:  Ship to 1315 30th Street and use the loading dock.
For all other deliveries and service:  Ship or go to the lower level of the Olmsted Center located at 2875 University Ave.

For any questions about deliveries or services, call us at 515-271-4717.

—Tricia McKinney, Public Safety

Campus Announcements Archive

Your personal information is like money—value and protect it

As users and consumers of a worldwide internet, each of us has a role to play in protecting our private information. Data privacy is about your freedom—who has access to your personal activities, information, and ideas? Much of our day-to-day activity and work takes place on the internet or on an internet-capable device, but how often do we pause to consider who has access to our information, and how they are using this information?

These concepts are the theme of Data Privacy Day, an internationally recognized day on Jan. 28 that encourages every global citizen to learn how to better protect private information in a world that is increasingly connected. Here are some excellent resources about how to take back your privacy and keep your information safe:

  • Cookies and your behavior: It’s no secret that organizations use your browsing habits to offer specific products or modify prices—learn how to control what these organizations know about you.
  • Mobile devices: These convenient devices are also convenient for data thieves. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the risk to your information when you access the internet or download an app.
  • Online shopping & banking: An ever-increasing number of websites are accepting credit card information and allowing you to view or change financial information. Two-factor authentication can offer additional protection.
  • Tax season: It’s a good time to think about how our financial information stays secure, whether online or on paper. Check out this ITS blog post for information about how to avoid becoming a victim of tax fraud, and how to recover quickly if it happens to you.

ITS is coordinating the third annual Drake shred event this spring! Bring your confidential documents and have them shredded free of charge on Thursday, April 20, from 12 to 3 p.m. Look for more information in a future OnCampus issue.

Learn even more about how to secure your digital life by visiting our blog at its.drake.edu/category/security-blog/.

—Peter Lundstedt, Information Security Manager

Campus Announcements Archive

Apply for an Olson Global Service-Learning Match Grant

Applications are being accepted for the Olson Global Service-Learning Match Grant to support projects taking place in the spring or summer 2017. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the funding is gone.

Match grants are awarded to student global service-learning projects with faculty/staff support where funds or in-kind donations have been appropriated or raised, but where additional funds would be beneficial. The Olson Global Service-Learning Match Grant funds are designated to enhance global service-learning projects by providing additional funds that would otherwise not be accessible. Global service-learning at Drake is defined as the intersection of service-learning, immersion in global contexts, and intercultural education.

Requirements:

  • Funds or in-kind donations of at least $500 must have already been raised
  • Projects must have a strong global service-learning emphasis
  • Student applicants must have demonstrated faculty/staff support

Please note that we are NOT able to reimburse for individual’s mileage or personal costs. Visit the service-learning website for more information and the link to apply.

Contact: Amanda Martin, community engaged learning program coordinator, at amanda.martin@drake.edu.

—Amanda Martin

Campus Announcements Archive

Get fit this semester

Kick off the start of a new semester right by attending a Group X fitness class! The new spring schedule begins TODAY. You can find the schedule on the Rec*It Fitness app as well as on the Rec Services website: www.drake.edu/recservices/.

Are you interested in setting new wellness goals for this semester? Check out Drake’s Wellness Services. We offer various fitness and body composition assessments and can help you develop a wellness plan! Email wellness@drake.edu for more information and/or to set up an appointment!

Strategic Updates Archive

Administrative services survey update

An important aspect of our Continuous Improvement Plan is consistently and repeatedly examining our delivery of exceptional service as well as the services we provide to the campus community. Last fall, we launched the first administrative services survey designed to provide feedback on service levels in Human Resources, Facilities Planning and Management, and Information Technology Services. The survey was developed with key input by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment and in close collaboration with key President’s Council members.

We were very pleased with the response rate for the survey, with 453 responses. In addition to answers to survey questions, survey takers provided significant comments, which will be extremely helpful in contextualizing the data. For each department covered by last fall’s survey, an action plan will be developed. Each department will reflect on the findings and consider ways to enhance, expand, or improve service. Watch OnCampus for additional information from Human Resources, Facilities Planning and Management, and Information Technology Services about their individual departmental results and how they plan to build on the information gleaned from this survey.

—Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer

Strategic Updates Archive

Reminder: Associate Provost for Campus Equity and Inclusion (APCEI) interviews

Two finalists are participating in on-campus interviews on Tuesday, Jan. 31, and Thursday, Feb. 2. Understanding that the new APCEI will work closely with students, faculty, and staff in diversity initiatives, we invite each of you to be a part of the upcoming interview process and let your voice be heard.

We have two very qualified finalists to participate in on-campus interviews:

  • Erin Lain, Associate Professor of Law and Assistant Dean for Academic Services
  • Darcie Vandegrift, Associate Professor and Department Chair for the Study of Culture and Society.

The curriculum vitae and cover letter for each candidate can be found online.

We invite you to mark your calendars for the following events:

  • Tuesday, Jan.31, at 4 p.m. in Sussman Theater for an hour-long open session with finalist Darcie Vandegrift. The candidate will present for 20–30 minutes, followed by a 30–40 minute open Q&A time.
  • Thursday, Feb. 2, at 4 p.m. in Sussman Theater for an hour-long open session with finalist Erin Lain. The candidate will present for 20–30 minutes, followed by a 30–40 minute open Q&A time.

You can find important documents regarding the Quality Initiative, Strategic Diversity Action Team’s work, and Campus Climate Survey on the climate assessment website.

Thank you for your continued engagement and support.

—APCEI Search Committee

Strategic Updates Archive

New list of benchmark opportunities now available

Using benchmark institutions for comparison is a common method to address the demand for data-driven decisions. In summer 2016, President’s Council affirmed the need to review Drake’s set of benchmark institutions. The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) conducted an analysis of key indicators in national data to identify a set of institutions that are comparable to Drake.

As a result of that analysis, Drake has a new set of 15 benchmark institutions, which includes three sets of institutions—direct competitors (undergraduate admission), peer institutions (close alignment on key indicators), and aspirant institutions (high performance on key indicators). We will use this list for benchmarking purposes at the institution level. Individual units can also use this list, while recognizing that specific needs may require the use of a specialized set (e.g., athletics conference).

Benchmark Institutions

Direct Competitor Peer Aspirant
Creighton University Bradley University Santa Clara University
DePaul University Butler University University of Tulsa
Loyola University Chicago Elon University Villanova University
Marquette University Gonzaga University Loyola Marymount University
St. Thomas University Valparaiso University Texas Christian University

Please contact Kevin Saunders if you would like additional information. This set of institutions will continue to be listed on the OIRA website.

—Kevin Saunders, OIRA