Heard Around Campus — September

The new 2017–18 academic year has officially started, and with the start of a new school year comes a whole slew of updates and announcements that concern Drexel faculty and staff.

Here’s what was heard around campus this month.

Major Drexel Project Updates as of September 2017

The following projects were recently completed:

• James E. Marks Intercultural Center (Academic Building): The new home of the James E. Marks Intercultural Center, located on the ground floor of the Academic Building, includes offices for the Office of Equality and Diversity, the Student Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and the Spiritual and Religious Life Center.
• Buckley Field Hockey Field Replacement (Vidas Athletic Complex): This project brought new synthetic turf, improvements to the water cannon system and team areas to the field.
• Westphal College of Media Arts & Design Music Industry Studios (One Drexel Plaza): There’s now a new state-of-the-art recording and production facility and music classrooms in One Drexel Plaza. Adjacent audio archives and student and faculty spaces were completed at the same time.
• Intelligent Structures Laboratory (Alumni Labs): A new laboratory for testing and evaluating components of building structures is now in the basement of the Alumni Labs building.
• Queen Lane Team-Based Classroom: The former six-module interdisciplinary lab space was converted into three large modules, creating a team-based learning and large group discussion activity space for first- and second-year medical students. The renovation will support the new curriculum and accommodate teaching approximately 264 students at one time.
• Vue32 (3201 Race St.): This mixed-use, high-rise apartment tower, developed by Radnor Property Group, includes the new Chesterbrook Academy preschool located on the first two floors.

The following projects are currently under construction:

• Korman Center/Korman Quad Enhancements: Construction is in progress for an addition to the existing Korman Center building that will add much needed student common space while updating the building's appearance, as well as renovations to the Korman Quad. When those projects are complete later this fall, the Quad will be re-opened, but work will continue on the Korman Center building to restore the original facades and to replace the windows and roof.
• Thomas R. Kline Institute for Trial Advocacy at the Kline School of Law: The renovation of 1200 Chestnut St. for the Thomas R. Kline Institute for Trial Advocacy is in progress, with substantial completion anticipated in late fall 2017.
• Armory (Lancaster Avenue Readiness Center): Demolition work has begun for exterior restoration and improvements to the state-occupied "triangle" portion of the Armory building. This work will include masonry restoration, new roofing and restoration of all windows along 32nd and 33rd streets, Lancaster Walk and the half-round widows along Cuthbert Street. Funded jointly by the state and Drexel, this project is managed by Pennsylvania's Department of General Services and is expected to continue over the next several terms.
• Bernhardt Memorial Courtyard at Thomas R. Kline School of Law: Construction began in July on the Bernhardt Memorial Courtyard, which will be located on Market Street between the Kline School of Law and Hagerty Library. Designed by Studio Bryan Hanes, the courtyard will provide an intimate outdoor space to study and socialize. Completion is expected in October 2017. 
• Fox Historic Costume Collection (URBN Center): Construction will soon begin in the URBN Center for renovations to accommodate the expansion of the Penny and Robert Fox Historic Costume Collection.
• Goodwin College Renovation, Gerri C LeBow Hall: Construction is underway to renovate a portion of the third floor of LeBow Hall for the Goodwin College of Professional Studies. The project will include new offices, a classroom and two conference rooms and is expected to be complete in late fall.

Visit the Current Projects Page on the University Facilities and Real Estate website for more information.

Office 365 Service Expansion

On Sept. 18, almost 20 additional Office 365 apps and services became available to Drexel Dragons, according to an email sent by Drexel IT.

These new features include:

• Skype for Business, for ad-hoc IM or calls, and for scheduled meetings
• Teams*, for group chat, threaded discussions, and shared files
• Planner*, for managing small personal or team projects
• Sway, for a modern take on presentations
• Delve, for finding people and files related to your work
• Power BI, for analyzing data and generating reports
• Bookings*, for setting up service desks and managing appointments (think of appointments for a haircut or car repair)
• StaffHub*, a website and mobile app for managing "deskless" staff such as co-op, work study, or student employees

*These services let you pick a name for your team, plan, etc. Remember that these names are visible to other users, so you should choose a name that is both unambiguous and appropriate for a large education and business environment. Inappropriately named works or groups may be deleted.

You can check out the full list of apps and services, and the associated Drexel IT support level for each, on the Office 365 Support and Use Guidance Web page.

Reaffirming Drexel's Title IX Policy and Process

The U.S. Department of Education recently withdrew two high-profile documents pertaining to how educational institutions (like Drexel) respond to reports of sexual harassment, including sexual violence.

Drexel’s Office of Equality and Diversity wants to be clear that there is no change to Title IX policy at the University in light of the Department of Education's announcement. According to an email sent Sept. 25, the University will continue to enforce its Sexual and Gender-Based Harassment and Misconduct Policy as it is written and published. Drexel will continue its efforts to create and maintain an environment in which sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is unacceptable.

Questions or concerns about the University's Title IX policy and process can be directed to the Office of Equality and Diversity.

Faculty and Professional Staff Engagement: ANS Members’ Night

As Drexel faculty and professional staff, you are invited to attend the Academy of Natural Sciences’ most exclusive night of the year — Members’ Night 2017 — free of charge. The open-house runs from 5–9 p.m. on Oct. 13.

At this year’s Members’ Night, you could:

• Meet nature’s vampires, greet ghostly animals, and investigate the science of dry ice
• Solve a 70-million-year-old dinosaur murder mystery
• Help ghoulish characters perform spooky experiments like potion and slime making
• Explore “inside” dioramas using green screen technology
• Create a 3-D digital model of the Academy’s new Ichthyosaur

Academy researchers, scientists and educators will also be on hand to take you behind the scenes for exciting activities that showcase what the Academy’s experts do every day. During this special night, you can meet the staff, see the collections and experience the breadth and depth of work that takes place at the museum.

While the event is free, registration is required due to limited space and walk-up registration will not be available during the event. Please RSVP by Oct. 5.

New System for Student Disability Accommodations

Earlier this summer, you were notified that Disability Resources was rolling out a new database, ClockWork, for the 2017–2018 academic year — and now, ClockWork is operational.

Disability Resources is already using ClockWork to distribute Accommodations Verification Letters (AVLs) to instructors via email. Instructors, you will no longer receive AVLs directly from students in paper form, so please be attentive to receiving email notifications directly from Disability Resources via the ClockWork system.

ClockWork also allows instructors to facilitate testing accommodations without filling out and signing forms. Instructors, when your student registers to take an exam at the Disability Resources testing center, you will receive an email notification. By visiting the ClockWork portal, you can see who has signed up to take exams in the Disability Resources testing center, approve their requests electronically and upload the exam. Be aware that all testing communications must be submitted through ClockWork — paper forms will no longer be used.

Questions and feedback can be sent via email with the subject line “Clockwork” to disability@drexel.edu. Updates about ClockWork are also posted here.

What Did You Do This Summer?

Drexel’s Human Resources has received positive feedback regarding half-day Summer Fridays. One Dragon focused her free time on civic engagement by packaging toiletry donation bags for the homeless and also providing free tutoring for home-schooled children.

Let HR know what you did with your extra free time!

2017 Provost's Fellows Cohort Announced

Executive Vice President and Nina Henderson Provost M. Brian Blake, PhD, recently announced the 2017 Cohort of Provost's Fellows. The program provides Provost's Fellows with a more holistic view of the institution while engaging the fellows in projects that enhance Drexel’s strategic academic vision, and it helps inform the Office of the Provost in a wide variety of discipline-specific areas.

Out of 14 applications, three Dragons were chosen:

• Shivanthi Anandan, PhD, associate professor in the College of Arts and Sciences
• Richard H. Frankel, associate professor in the Thomas R. Kline School of Law
• Gail Rosen, PhD, associate professor in the College of Engineering
  

Their biographies and projects are available here.

Winter Farm Share Registration Now Open!

The Common Market Farm Share at Drexel is now accepting orders for winter 2017. Registration runs until Nov. 1. Members who sign up before Oct. 1 will receive $20 off their fruit and vegetable share. No discount codes needed, the price is already discounted on the website. When you sign up, choose Drexel University (University City) or the Academy of Natural Sciences (Center City) as your pickup location.

Below is the breakdown of prices for the 2017 Summer Farm Share. Members who sign up online have the option to pay either monthly or in one single payment:

• The Fruit and Vegetable Share includes one dozen certified humane eggs and 6–8 seasonal produce items per delivery. (Cost: $29 per share or $348 for a single payment)
• The Poultry Share includes 3 pounds of frozen, antibiotic- and hormone-free chicken and turkey per delivery. (Cost: $22.75 per share or $273 for a single payment)
• The Full Meat Share includes 4–6 pounds of frozen, antibiotic- and hormone-free poultry, beef, pork and/or catfish. Members receive 2–4 items per delivery. (Cost: $55 per share or $660 for a single payment)
• Artisanal Cheese Share includes 1/3lb–1lb of cheese per delivery. (Cost: $8.25 per share or $99 for a single payment)
• Fresh Baked Bread includes one loaf or one loaf equivalent of freshly baked bread. (Cost: $7.50 per share or $90 for a single payment)
• Plain or Flavored Yogurt Share includes 32 ounces of plain or flavored Pequea Valley Farm yogurt. ($5.85 per share or $70.20 for a single payment)