The University’s Office of Human Resources is recommending that individuals who can successfully work remotely continue to do so if they have not been notified that their job function is required for on-campus support.

As more students return to campus, additional staff may be required on campus to support them. Faculty and professional staff should consult with their department head or supervisor to clarify their department’s expectations and needs. If a faculty or professional staff member requires an accommodation, they should contact their HR Business Partner for consultation. 

Shared office spaces will be modified in accordance with CDC guidelines on social distancing. Administrative units have developed staffing plans with their employees that include alternative work scheduling options (e.g., partial work-at-home, alternate days on campus, etc.) to minimize the number of people in the office at any given time. Wearing a mask is required in all shared spaces

To enable this effort, facilities will provide each unit with documentation that outlines the safe capacities of all spaces on campus, including shared office spaces. Facilities has worked with administrative units on common areas such as communal kitchens to enhance sanitation measures or potentially restrict access to spaces that are considered “high traffic/non-essential.” Plexiglass and other appropriate barriers have been installed in front-facing office spaces such as reception desks.

Masks and social distancing are required in all shared work spaces. You can take your mask off if you are alone in your office with the door closed--however, if you share an office, it may be wise to keep your mask on in case your office-mate comes in without notice.

Faculty and professional staff are advised to seek medical care by calling their primary care doctor and asking to be evaluated for COVID-19. Immediately after calling your provider, please contact covid19health@drexel.edu and provide your name and a phone number to be contacted by a Drexel representative. It is imperative that the University is aware of any exposure risk to the members of the Drexel community.

Drexel is also providing access to 24/7 confidential medical services effective immediately. These services include access to urgent care and emergency care facilities in close proximity to campus. This information will be included and continuously updated on Drexel’s COVID-19 response website.

Drexel is developing a plan that will be shared in July with detailed protocols should a student, staff, or faculty member contract COVID-19, including the immediate cleaning and disinfecting impacted areas (e.g., classrooms, labs, library, cafeteria, washrooms, study areas, pathways, etc.).

Faculty or professional staff who are immunocompromised should work with their department head to develop a schedule that permits them to work remotely.

Drexel Business Services is in close contact with the private retail and dining establishments that operate on and near the University City campus. Many are offering a Dragon Special to welcome back the campus community. For an updated list, visit the Dining and Retail Directory. Be sure to visit the individual businesses’ website directly to confirm hours of operation and offerings.

Effective immediately and until further notice, domestic and international University-related travel is prohibited unless deemed essential and approved by the University. You can view the most up-to-date Drexel travel guidelines on our COVID-19 Essential Travel Guidance page.

The U.S. State Department is advising against travel abroad and urging Americans abroad to return immediately or plan to remain where you are for an extended period of time. In accordance with CDC guidelines, you may be subject to a 14-day self-isolation upon your return. You are strongly encouraged to report any planned personal travel to your immediate supervisor and your HR Business Partner.

You should continue to monitor the CDC risk designation for your planned travel location. You may be subject to a 14-day self-isolation upon your return. You are strongly encouraged to report any planned personal travel to your immediate supervisor and your HR Business Partner.

The U.S. State Department is advising against travel abroad and urging Americans abroad to return immediately or plan to remain where you are for an extended period of time. Accordingly, personal travel to a CDC Level 3 risk designation is discouraged in order to mitigate risk of exposure. Should the CDC expand the list or change the risk level designation of the country to which you are traveling, you may be subject to self-isolation upon your return to work.

You can contact World Travel Inc. directly at 855.809.8166 or drexeltravel@worldtravelinc.com, should you have any questions or concerns. Please also visit the Procurement Services website for more information about the logistics associated with travel bookings on behalf of Drexel.

Quarter-based graduate and undergraduate programs originally scheduled to begin January 4 will be delayed by one week and will begin on January 11. During the week of January 11, classes will be fully virtual to allow for the completion of a quarantine period for students who moved to campus. The week of January 18, some classes will move to a face-to-face or hybrid format, while the majority of classes will remain remote. Winter quarter courses will end as previously scheduled on March 13, with finals taking place March 15 to March 20.

Course registration for the spring quarter will open on Monday, February 15. The spring quarter will start and end as originally scheduled. Classes will begin on March 29, 2021 and end on June 5, with finals beginning on June 7.

The Instructional Technology Group has created a COVID-19 Prep web page to explain how to use Drexel’s online instruction and testing resources.

A range of trainings and resources are available to support faculty. While resources can be found in many locations on the Drexel website, the Remote Teaching Sharepoint site is designed as a one-stop shop with information regarding trainings, workshops, "how-to" documents, resources, and support opportunities available at Drexel University.

A few key resources and development opportunities include:

• Technology Training and Support. The Instructional Technology Group provides training sessions on Blackboard Learn and other instructional technologies. For a list of upcoming trainings visit ITG's website or register directly on Career Pathway. For specific support questions, email itg@drexel.edu. For additional Zoom questions or support, contact ZoomAdmin@drexel.edu.
• Workshops from the Teaching and Learning Center. The Teaching and Learning Center facilitates interactive workshops designed to prepare faculty for effective teaching, whether it happens remotely, in the classroom, or some mix of both. A list of upcoming remote teaching workshops can be found on the Teaching and Learning Center's website.
• Teaching Tips from the Teaching and Learning Center. The Teaching and Learning Center regularly provides practical strategies and techniques for effective teaching of remote, online, hybrid and face-to-face courses. Visit the Teaching Tips SharePoint site to review past teaching tips.
• Peer2Peer Network. The Peer2Peer Support Network includes faculty across the university who have volunteered to provide support to their colleagues teaching remotely. This group offers 1:1 faculty support with teaching and learning technologies from a faculty perspective. To request assistance, visit the Peer2Peer Request Portal.
• Remote Course Facilitators. The Graduate College has trained a large number of graduate students who are willing to serve as remote course facilitators. Remote Course Facilitators can help faculty manage several functions during synchronous class meetings such as monitoring the chat box, managing the waiting room, or creating and checking in with breakout rooms. Contact the Graduate College at graduatecollege@drexel.edu to request a remote course facilitator.
• CASTLE Faculty Fellows. CASTLE faculty fellows support Drexel faculty who teach undergraduate STEM courses by answering questions they have about implementing effective remote teaching and serving as a sounding board for faculty who want advice about an approach they would like to try in their classroom. Visit the CASTLE Faculty Fellows site to learn more.

We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought much uncertainty and disruption to the lives of our students. After serious consideration and conversation with deans, faculty and our students, it became clear that following our standard grading policy during this unprecedented time was not the best path forward. For that reason, we will offer the option for students to take courses on a Pass/No Pass basis.

Details are available at this link. An FAQ from the Office of the Provost about the Pass/No Pass option is available here.

At this time it is too early to determine what next term will look like, and who will be asked (or eligible) to return to campus. The decision will be influenced not only by the local, state, and national prevalence of COVID-19 but also by the rollout of vaccines and the evolution of new strains of the virus, as well as the success of prevention measures on campus. It is likely that courses will continue to be offered in a variety of instructional modalities.

Faculty and professional staff training is available in Career Pathway:

1. In DrexelOne, under the Employee tab, click on the Career Pathway link under the “My Career” header.
2. On the Career Pathway Welcome page, scroll down to the “Your Transcript” channel and choose “Launch” next to the "Returning to Campus Safely – Drexel’s Response to Coronavirus" course title.
3. Click the “Play” symbol.
4. Navigate through the course; you must view the course in its entirety and commit to and take the Dragon Pledge within the training to get credit for completion.
5. Please ensure that you are not using Edge as your browser to access the training.

For per diem, casual or temporary staff members, and non-employee associates, the training is in Blackboard Learn:

Instructions for Direct Access to Blackboard Learn:

1. Go to the Drexel Learn sign-in page at: learn.drexel.edu. If you have official Drexel credentials that you use to log in to DrexelOne, choose "Sign In with Drexel Connect."
2. If you do not have a Drexel account, but have been granted access to Learn, choose "I Don’t Have a Drexel Account" and log in with the credentials you were provided.
3. Once you have logged in, click on “Courses” and then the COVID-19 training course will be assigned to you.

Instructions for Access to Blackboard Learn via DrexelOne:

1. When you log into one.drexel.edu, select the Academics tab to see a list of your courses (faculty can see their courses under the Faculty tab). Click on the course name to access it in Drexel Learn. Note that you will only see official Banner courses via this page.
2. Once you have logged in, click on “Courses” and then the COVID-19 training course will be assigned to you.

If the professional staff member is able and approved to work remotely, they will not be required to use their leave time. Members of a collective bargaining unit should refer to their union contract.

If the professional staff member is unable to work remotely, is expected to work on campus, or is experiencing symptoms and are unable to work as a result, they are required to use their sick leave. If they do not have enough sick leave accrued, the professional staff member will be permitted to utilize future sick leave accruals to ensure that there is no disruption in pay. Members of a collective bargaining unit should refer to their union contract.

Absences that span more than three days may be covered under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the Non-FMLA Medical Leave of Absence. Faculty and professional staff members are encouraged to contact our Leave of Absence Administrator, Lincoln Financial Group. You may file for a leave of absence by phone at 1.888.992.0549 or online by logging in to DrexelOne and selecting “Leave of Absence” in the Benefits Administration section under the “Employee” tab.

Faculty and professional staff members who are off work to care for a family member should use available sick time during their absence. Qualifying family members are outlined in the Sick Leave Policy.

Absences that span more than three days may be covered under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the Non-FMLA Medical Leave of Absence. Faculty and professional staff members are encouraged to contact our Leave of Absence Administrator, Lincoln Financial Group. You may file for a leave of absence by phone at 1.888.992.0549 or online by logging in to DrexelOne and selecting “Leave of Absence” in the Benefits Administration section under the “Employee” tab.

You are permitted to ask faculty/professional staff members how they are feeling in general, but you are not permitted to ask about a specific illness.

No. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) restricts employers from sharing personal health information of an employee. Any faculty/professional staff members who have been exposed to or are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 are required to email covid19health@drexel.edu and provide their name and a phone number to be contacted by a Drexel representative. A physician will review and evaluate the responses to covid19health@drexel.edu and communicate with the impacted department accordingly.

Please contact the appropriate supplier representative to restore any services that were suspended following departure from campus. Please see Procurement Services' COVID-19 Resources page for contact information for the most commonly used suppliers and other pertinent information. Contact information for many Drexel suppliers can also be found on the Supplier Information Dashboard in Smart Source.

If the professional staff member is able and approved to work remotely, they will not be required to use their leave time. Members of a collective bargaining unit should refer to their union contract.

If the professional staff member is unable to work remotely, but there is work available, they will be paid via their vacation leave. Members of a collective bargaining unit should refer to their union contract.

The wages of faculty and professional staff who are working remotely outside of the City of Philadelphia are not applicable to City Wage Tax during this period of remote work. Effective April 1, 2020, the Philadelphia Non-Resident Wage Tax will be turned off for the applicable employee population. For New Jersey residents who currently elect to waive the New Jersey State Tax, the NJ tax will be deducted during this time period. Once Drexel returns to normal operations, the Philadelphia Non-Resident Wage Tax and the New Jersey State Tax will be restored to their current status.

Once you are scheduled to return to work within the City of Philadelphia, regardless of the frequency (for example, if you are working a flexible schedule with some telework), City Wage Tax will be reinstated. The Payroll Office is working to create a process that will allow individuals to record the time worked outside of the city on a per-pay basis, instead of waiting until yearend to file a petition for the credit.

Full-time remote work outside of the City of Philadelphia will continue to be exempt from City Wage Tax.

Pursuant to the Promoting Healthy Families and Workplaces, Philadelphia Sick Leave Ordinance, these individuals may be eligible to receive up to 40 hours of sick leave. Any additional time off will be unpaid. Members of a collective bargaining unit should refer to their union contract.

You will need to seek approval from your manager in order to take Drexel equipment off campus. Please understand that you are responsible for returning the equipment upon your return to work.

Benefit-eligible professional staff: Use sick time to record unworked hours. All hours worked must be submitted and approved in accordance with the applicable Payroll Schedules.

Non-benefit eligible faculty and professional staff (casual faculty, co-ops, temporary, per diem, causal and student employees): Will not be paid unless they are able to work remotely and are submitting hours. All hours worked must be submitted and approved in accordance with the applicable Payroll Schedules. Temporary, Per Diem and Casual employees may be eligible to receive up to 40 hours of sick leave in accordance with the Philadelphia Sick Leave Ordinance. Any additional time off will be unpaid.

Pennsylvania workers affected by COVID-19 closures or reduced hours may be eligible for Unemployment Benefits. Please review the Pennsylvania Pressroom site for more information. If you have questions related to specific circumstances in your work environment and/or the resources available to you, contact your HR Business Partner.

All temporary employees will be paid their regular rate of pay while working remotely and on campus.

Drexel shuttle bus service is operating on a modified schedule with increased health and safety procedures in place. For information on the Drexel shuttle bus service, please visit the Shuttle Services webpage.

Drexel will be coordinating with SEPTA/NJT/PATCO/AMTRAK to ensure that students who use those services have access to safe public transportation options to travel to and from campus. For the latest SEPTA updates, please visit the SEPTA website.

Parking fees are suspended for employees and active, registered students. Access the Drexel Garage at 34th and Ludlow with your DragonCard. Parking is also available in the University’s parking lots based on availability. For more information, visit the Parking Services webpage.

For tenants, follow the direction of the most stringent requirements to assist in protecting the community. See our Guidelines for Working in Leased Properties page for guidance from building landlords. If access is restricted, please work with the landlord. If you have challenges with the landlord gaining access to a leased location, please notify Drexel's Real Estate and Facilities team through the Facilities Call Center (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) at 215.895.1700.

For packages being shipped to campus, please contact the supplier to cancel or hold the order. Shipping and receiving will continue to hold packages, but storage is limited and strained. If a received package is needed, contact Shipping and Receiving at 215.895.2817 to schedule a pickup at the receiving window on the first floor of the General Services Building Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. Delivery service will not be an option at this time

If you need a replacement first-time DragonCard, you will need to schedule an appointment. Please visit Drexel Business Services’ COVID Operations site for full details. If you have any questions or would like to request access to campus buildings, please contact dragoncard@drexel.edu.

Departments will be required to pick up or drop off mail. To schedule an appointment, please email mailservice@drexel.edu 24 hours in advance of your preferred pick-up time. This option is available in the University City location, General Services Building at 3300 Market Street, and Center City location, New College Building at 245 N. 15th Street. If you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to Drexel Mail Services management team at 215.895.2796 or mailservice@drexel.edu.

Please call the Facilities Call Center (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.) at 215.895.1700 to report the concern. Student residents can also contact their residence hall Front Desk for assistance.

To access campus buildings, you need to have your DragonCard. If you need a replacement card or first-time DragonCard, you need to schedule an appointment. Please visit Drexel Business Services’ COVID Operations site for full details. If you have any questions or would like to request access to campus buildings, please contact dragoncard@drexel.edu.

A DragonCard is not required until you come to campus. For any students taking in-person classes, you must have a DragonCard to access all buildings. If you need a replacement or first-time DragonCard, you need to schedule an appointment. Please visit Drexel Business Services’ COVID Operations site for full details. If you have any questions or would like to request access to campus buildings, please contact dragoncard@drexel.edu.

Please see the Return to Research page for information.