$1.5 Million Gift Establishes the John and Jinnie Chapel Learning & Tutoring Center at Drexel’s LeBow College of Business

With a $1.5 million gift from Drexel University trustee and longtime supporter R. John Chapel Jr. ’67, and his wife, Jinnie, Drexel University is establishing the John and Jinnie Chapel Learning & Tutoring Center in the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business. The commitment will support Drexel’s ongoing efforts to create and utilize campus spaces to support academic activities and improve the overall student experience.

While current LeBow students have already overcome many challenges due to the pandemic — including interrupted and evolving learning environments during their formative high school years — to earn a competitive spot in the College, there is an increased demand for learning and tutoring support, particularly centered on LeBow’s quantitative courses. LeBow’s undergraduate student services division has been coordinating tutoring for a handful of subjects. This gift will enable the College to expand its infrastructure in order to serve more students.

“The Chapels’ continued generosity has had a transformative impact on LeBow and Drexel. With their latest gift, John and Jinnie Chapel will equip LeBow’s promising students with the tools they need to thrive as leaders in the fast-paced business sector for many years to come,” said Drexel President John Fry. 

Drexel will transform a space in Gerri C. LeBow Hall into a comfortable, welcoming environment for students to assemble for tutoring appointments and learning workshops. The space will not only serve its designated practical purpose, but it will also be a physical symbol of the academic support network that is in place for all students at LeBow.

The Center’s peer tutors will assist with content covered in a number of undergraduate and graduate courses across all of the academic departments in LeBow, and a new, convenient online scheduling platform will allow students to participate in both in-person and virtual appointments.

“Jinnie and I are delighted to have the opportunity to ensure students have the resources they need to succeed at LeBow, as well as enter today’s workforce with the essential business skills LeBow graduates are known for, and can thereby help shape the future of business,” said John Chapel, a LeBow alumnus, emeritus Drexel trustee, CEO and owner of White Hall Capital, LLC, a private equity firm he founded.

Since 2008, the Chapels have endowed the R. John Chapel Jr. Dean’s Chair at LeBow, established the R. John Chapel Jr. Dean’s Suite on the 12th floor of Gerri C. LeBow Hall and supported other initiatives to benefit scholarships, leadership development, Athletics and Greek Life at the University.

The Chapel Learning & Tutoring Center will be staffed using proven hiring and training models from the University’s Center for Learning and Academic Success Services and with guidance from LeBow’s Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning. Tutors will be fully compensated for their onboarding and tutoring time, and will gain hands-on leadership experience and benefit from serving as peer mentors. The Center will be equipped with state-of-the-art technology to extend deeper learning opportunities to LeBow students.

“LeBow’s incredibly ambitious students are inherently driven to become the leaders of tomorrow,” said Vibhas Madan, PhD, dean and R. John Chapel Jr. Dean’s Chair in the LeBow College of Business. “The John and Jinnie Chapel Learning & Tutoring Center will reinforce these ambitions by ensuring that our students have strong, foundational knowledge in business and economics.”

The Chapel Learning & Tutoring Center will officially open on October 5.