Congratulations on being done with the first month of back-to-school season! There’s a lot going on now and in the coming weeks with the new academic year, middle of the annual performance development process and future Open Enrollment.

So that all means ... get ready to mark dates and make plans that could impact both your personal life and your professional career here at Drexel.

Here’s what was heard around campus this month:

Performance Development: First Step for Professional Staff Is Due Oct. 6

The annual performance development process began on Sept. 8 and concludes on Nov. 18, with professional staff members required to submit their sections to their managers by Oct. 6. Drexel Human Resources has implemented several new resources dedicated to guide and support you throughout the process. Professional staff and their managers will receive emails at each step of the process and should follow the instructions in the e-mails to move through the process.

Performance management is essential to creating an environment that fosters regular and productive conversations, recognition of accomplishments, and expanding leadership capabilities. To learn more about the University’s performance management philosophy, check out the online course, Your Guide to Performance Management. This course and other performance-related materials can be found on the Welcome page of Career Pathway under Learning for the Performance Management Cycle.

Save the Date: 2023 Open Enrollment Begins Oct. 24

As Drexel’s open enrollment season for 2023 (Oct. 24–Nov. 15) approaches, please take a moment to review your benefit information:

• Visit the benefits portal on DrexelOne, under the “Employee” tab
• Select “My Drexel Benefits”
• On the left side on your screen, select “Benefits Profile,” which will give you the option to see your benefits information, dependents and beneficiaries

You will receive an email with comprehensive information about enrolling in benefits for the 2023 plan year closer to the start of the open enrollment period. For any questions about your benefits or open enrollment, please contact the Drexel University Benefit Center by phone at 1.844.690.3992, by email at help@mybenefitexpress.com, or use the chat function in the enrollment portal. A benefits representative is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

Drexel Votes: Register in PA by Oct. 24; Election Day Is Nov. 8

The 2022 General Election in all states will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8. This year, Pennsylvanians will be voting for a new governor, an open U.S. Senate seat, all U.S. and state House races (every two years) and certain state Senate races (every four years). The deadline to register to vote for the PA election is Oct. 24, and the last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is Nov. 1, by 5 p.m. For voter resources, engagement opportunities, frequently asked questions, events and more, please visit drexel.edu/vote.

Complete Enterprise Learning, Conflict of Interest by Nov. 1

Enterprise Learning is meant to enhance your skills and knowledge, and equip you with the tools to form and strengthen connections across the University. This year, all faculty and professional staff are required to complete three online courses: Drexel University Information Security Compliance, Understanding Title IX at Drexel and Workplace Privacy and Confidentiality. For more information on each course, please visit the HR website. Additionally, you can access the courses via the links above or via your transcript on Career Pathway. All courses must be completed no later than Nov. 1, 2022. 

Also by Nov. 1, all faculty and professional staff are required to disclose any actual or possible conflicts of interest or commitment they may have and certify that they have read the University-wide Code of Conduct. To access the Annual Conflict of Interest and Commitment report, log in to DrexelOne, navigate to the Employee tab and select Conflict of Interest Disclosure under the Compliance and Privacy Programs channel.

Earn More 2022 Wellness Points Before the Nov. 30 Deadline

The 2022 Wellness Program ends Nov. 30 for employees and their eligible spouses/partners. Still have some points to earn and wellness goals to achieve? Check out the Wellness Incentive Program web page for a complete list of upcoming virtual wellness workshops. Drexel is exploring some new topics in these offerings, such as cryptocurrency, grocery shopping during inflation, pelvic health, and success strategies for hybrid workers. Register in Career Pathway for the events of your choice. These new offerings and many more are each worth 15 points ($15) toward the program. 

Celebrate the Start of Fall at the Gateway Garden

Fall is officially here, and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the seasonal weather outside at the Gateway Garden (32nd and JFK Boulevard):

• The Maker’s Market at the Gateway Garden runs every Thursday from 3–6 p.m. through Oct. 27. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) presents this weekly market featuring Philly-made art, ceramics, jewelry, skin care and more.
• Meet the Brewers, a PHS event series where you’ll meet local brewers, returns to the Gateway Garden this fall. Sessions include Cocktails with Philadelphia Distilling on Oct. 12, Autumn Apple Harvest with Dressler Estate on Oct. 19, and Fall Brews with Conshohocken Brewing on Oct. 26, all from 5–7 p.m.
• New this fall, Vinyasa Yoga classes will be held at the garden every Monday in October from 12:15– 1:15 p.m. Grab your mat for this all-levels vinyasa flow – a perfect mix of cardio, strength training, stretching and meditation. This free event is open to Drexel students, faculty and professional staff with a valid DragonCard; registration is required. Register for the Oct. 3 session, or visit the Drexel event calendar to register for any of the other Monday classes.

Drexel community members who are interested in learning more about The Gateway Garden and its programming are invited to join the Gateway Garden group via Teams managed by Drexel Business Services.

Food & Beverage Updates Galore!

• Pret a Manger Is Open for Business: Grab freshly made food and organic coffee from Pret a Manger (“Pret”), now officially open. Their menu offers sandwiches, salads and soups, all prepared on the premises. Pret is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• LaScala’s FIRE Gets an Upgrade: LaScala’s FIRE, located at 3200 Chestnut St., now has a full bar and is offering happy hour food and drink For more information about the restaurant, visit lascalasfire.com.
• New SodaStream Machines: As part of Water Year, Drexel Business Services installed SodaStream machines in MacAlister Hall (3250 Chestnut St.) and Health Science Building (60 N. 36th St.). Like the popular at-home counter appliance, this new bring-your-own-bottle vending service allows you to purchase still or sparkling water in an assortment of flavors while reducing waste at the same time. The two machines in MacAlister Hall are located near Barnes & Noble interior entrance and near the lounge on the first floor. The two machines in the Health Sciences Building are located on Floor 3 and Floor 6.

Introducing the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture

As previously announced, the Office of Equality and Diversity has changed its name to the Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture (EIC) — a name that better reflects the expanded scope of the office’s mission and its linkage to the University’s strategic imperative to foster and strengthen an inclusive and equity-driven culture. The office’s new web address is drexel.edu/equity-inclusive-culture (shortened to drexel.edu/eic), and its new primary email address is eic@drexel.edu. Check out the Sept. 8 announcement for more details on the changes, including why the office chose this new name, as well as organizational changes within EIC guided by this new chapter.

Presenting the 2022 Annual Report on Drexel’s Anti-Racism Commitments

The Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture (EIC) is pleased to present the inaugural annual report of the University’s progress toward its anti-racism commitments. The report focuses on three key areas: 1) implementation and success monitoring, including data documenting representation and data assessing climate; 2) highlights of unit activities addressing the University’s 64 anti-racism commitments; and 3) next steps in the implementation and success monitoring process. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education recognized the University’s efforts as an exemplary or innovative practice on Drexel’s 2022 reaccreditation report. You may read the executive summary and/or the full annual report [PDF] on the EIC website.

Reminder: Shuttle Service Updates

• The Powelton/Spring Garden Route now operates on weekends, with service from 3–10 p.m. Weekend bus service will make the same stops as weekday service (33rd and Market streets to 35th and Spring Garden streets, and ending at Vidas Athletic Complex).
• The Dragon Route has a new schedule, operating Monday–Friday, 7:15 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Please contact transitinfo@drexel.edu with any questions.

Calling All Green Thumbs: Grow to the Stratton Greenhouse

After a revamp over the summer, including new windows and waterproof floors, the greenhouse located on the third floor of Stratton Hall is open and ready to house Dragons’ plants, projects, and research, or to be used as a casual space to hang out when the weather gets cooler. You can enjoy the greenhouse Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with card access available nights and weekends for those caring for plants. Planting trays, pots and soil are provided, as well as tables and chairs — just bring your own seeds! If you’d like to reserve a 3’x3’ space in the greenhouse (first come, first serve!), or have any general questions, please email greenhouse@drexel.edu.

Participate in Drexel’s Policy Process: Comment Period Coming Soon

To increase community engagement in Drexel’s policy-making process, all proposed Official University Policies will undergo a 30-day public comment period as part of the Standard Review Process, during which all students, faculty and staff are invited to review and comment on the proposed policy. Here’s how the public comment period will work:

• The director of policy compliance will post the proposed policy on the web for review and announce the beginning and end of the public comment period to the University community.
• Community members will have 30 days to review the policy and provide their comments via a Qualtrics survey.
• At the end of the public comment period, the Sponsoring Unit of the proposed policy will review the comments, identify any revisions that have been requested, and provide a written summary of the comments with responses to any significant issues raised.

Members of the University community with meaningful feedback or significant concerns are encouraged to comment during this period. However, there is no assurance that a policy will be modified based solely on those comments, nor will there be an individual response to each comment.

If you have questions regarding the Policy Compliance Process, please contact the director of policy compliance at policy@drexel.edu.   

Register on Career Pathway: Journal Entry Workflow 3.0

The Journal Entry Workflow 3.0 course, offered Oct. 20 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. will provide an explanation of the functionality of the Journal Entry Workflow 3.0 tool for actual journal types only and allow for hands-on application in a test environment on how to process journal entries (funding transfers, transaction corrections) using the tool. This training will demonstrate how to process non-budget, research and non-research journal entries, how to attach supporting documentation and how to upload information into the tool. The session will discuss how the tool works for journal submitters and approvals and how it interacts with the expenditure authorization tables. Register on Career Pathway. For more information or questions about the program, email sherri.l.welch@drexel.edu or call 215.895.6380.

Reminder From Comptroller

Departments that are expecting any receipts of funds (deposits): Please email General Accounting at acct11@drexel.edu with the expected receipt amount as well as FOAPAL to apply this receipt.