Steve Vásquez Dolph, PhD, recently joined Dean David Brown, PhD for the second installment of his Discussions with the Dean series.  

Dolph is an Associate Teaching Professor of Spanish in the Department of Global Studies and Modern Languages and also serves as Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the College of Arts and Sciences.  

Their wide-ranging conversation explored the importance of community-based learning, language education, diversity in higher education and more.

Dolph spoke about how students in his courses learn to value hands-on knowledge and academic development outside of the classroom, which increases their sense of belonging and engagement with the surrounding community.  

“Drexel students, it’s no secret, are really pragmatic,” he explained. “Students at Drexel, more than any other place I’ve ever worked, understand the curriculum and where it’s taking them — how they got in, where they’re going and what they want to do with it. One of the challenges is showing students that part of college is to reshape that sense of where you’re going, to amplify your sense of who you can be and your purpose in the world.” 

Watch the full video below and learn more about one of Dolph’s community-based learning courses, Food and Land Security in Philadelphia, here.