Heard Around Campus — June

In a month that encompassed the end of spring term and the start of the summer term (plus all those commencement ceremonies!), a lot happened here at Drexel University.

Here’s everything that was heard around campus this month that might be of interest to Drexel University faculty and staff.

Summer Fridays — And Summer Friday Discounts — Are Here!

We’ve already had a Summer Friday, in which faculty and staff can work half-day Fridays. But did you know about the various discounts and benefits that you are eligible for on those Fridays? Just show your employee ID at participating restaurants, shops and other establishments on and off campus!

Commencement Recaps

You probably know that yes, it was June and yes, Drexel held its commencement ceremonies. If you didn’t attend, don’t worry — DrexelNow posted some recaps for you to catch up on. There was a photo recap of the University-wide ceremony and also gathered up some of the best tweets that #ForeverDragons and their families and friends posted. This year was also the first year that Drexel held a commencement cap contest — and the winning Dragons got pretty crafty when decorating their caps.

Employee Olympics IX

Were you one of the over 300 Drexel employee and staff who participated in the annual Employee Olympics this past month? Then check out this DrexelNow recap about the day’s events — and if you don’t see yourself in the photos in the story, then check out this Flickr album.

Free Institute Attendance Offering

 For Drexel’s fifth Annual Assessment Conference, it has partnered with the Association for the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education [AALHE] to offer a one-day Drexel/AALHE Institute on Sept. 12. The AALHE is an organization of practitioners interested in using effective assessment practice to document and improve student learning.

Interested? The Office of the Provost is offering two [2] free slots to faculty/staff for the institute. To apply, complete the AALHE Institute Questionnaire no later than July 6. For more information, click here.

Diversity & Inclusion Spotlight: Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship

The Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship’s Baida Institute of Entrepreneurship, located on the fourth floor of the Pearlstein Business Learning Center building, strives to be a welcoming, inclusive, diverse and engaging home for entrepreneurial students and alumni from all different backgrounds. Of the 25 companies that called Baida home last year, more than half were owned by or had partners who were women and/or from underrepresented groups. Baiada Institute is also marked by its global diversity, with entrepreneurs from Africa, Asia and Europe, as well as the United States.

The Close School weaves diversity into its curriculum, offering a course titled “Diversity Entrepreneurship” to all students at Drexel. The course brings in several successful entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups, as well as executives of organizations that support women and minorities, to foster a better understanding of the issues and to provide role models for students. 

This Diversity & Inclusion Spotlight was excerpted from the Inclusive Community Review: FY2017 Accomplishments (formerly called the Diversity Achievement Plan Accomplishments Supplement), an annual report celebrating the diversity and inclusion-related achievements of each of Drexel’s academic and administrative units. For general questions about diversity and inclusion initiatives at Drexel, please contact the Office of Equality & Diversity at oed@drexel.edu.