New year, new opportunities! There are ways to grow your professional development at work, start earning money by participating in Drexel’s A Healthier U wellness program, and contribute to and learn from the upcoming Black History Month and the University’s ongoing climate and sustainability efforts.
Call for Nominations — Drexel Leaders: Advancing Dragon Leadership
The Drexel Leaders: Advancing Dragon Leadership program helps experienced faculty and professional staff leaders at Drexel University expand their leadership capabilities. Program participants attend workshops where they learn from their own experiences, their colleagues' experiences, and experts in the field, use assessment results to reflect on their leadership practices, and create action plans for future development.
The program consists of eight workshops — seven half-day and one full-day — held virtually, as well as pre- and post-work assignments and online and virtual experience-sharing between participants. The dates for the workshops will be included in candidates’ application packets, and participants will need to attend all eight workshops to complete the program.
To learn more about the program and the application process, see the Drexel Leaders: Advancing Dragon Leadership website. The nomination timeline is Jan. 12 through Feb. 2. To nominate an individual from your division, school or college — or to self-nominate — fill out the Qualtrics survey.
Help Improve the Professional Staff Performance Process
Please help HR understand your experience with the professional staff performance process by completing one or both of the following short surveys, depending on whether you participated in the process as a manager or on your own professional staff review. The surveys will remain open through Jan. 31.
Celebrate Black History Month…
…With Popcorn, Purpose and Poetry
Commemorate Black History Month with a one-of-a-kind exploration of film, poetry and entrepreneurship featuring Drexel alumnus and critically acclaimed, award-winning filmmaker, best-selling author, and impact artist and speaker Yanatha Desouvre ’01. The event, taking place on Feb. 26, 6–8 p.m., includes screenings of short films “The Sweetest Girl” and “A Great Day in Harlem,” a keynote address and book signing from Desouvre, a Q&A session, a spoken-word performance and a networking reception. All Drexel students, alumni, faculty, professional staff, parents and community members are encouraged to attend. Visit the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business’s calendar listing for more information and how to RSVP.
…By Contributing to Drexel Libraries’ Exhibit:
As part of Black History Month celebrations, Drexel Libraries is honoring the culture and contributions of African Americans and the African diaspora through a physical display in the W. W. Hagerty Library and a corresponding online exhibit. The 2024 theme for Black History Month is African Americans and the Arts. Drexel Libraries plans to explore this theme (and beyond) through photos, books, articles and other objects that showcase the accomplishments of Black researchers, teachers, scientists, artists and others who have influenced and enriched society. Please use the Qualtrics form to submit content to be included in the exhibits.
Progyny & You: Learn All About Your Fertility and Family-building Benefit
Join Progyny, Drexel’s fertility and adoption assistance provider, on Feb. 7 for a webinar designed to give members the key details they need to understand their fertility and family-building benefit with confidence. This webinarwill discuss how to get started, what to expect, and the support Progyny provides along the way. For more information, check out the PDF event flyer.
Register for the Feb. 20 Onsite Biometric Screening and Earn $100
Drexel will once again host an onsite biometric screening opportunity for eligible employees and spouses on Feb. 20. This biometric health screening will measure your blood pressure, BMI, waist circumference, glucose levels and cholesterol. When you attend the biometric health screening, you will be asked if you are fasting or non-fasting to ensure the best accuracy of your results. You are not required to fast for the biometric health screening, though it is recommended, when possible.
To register, log in the Health Advocate portal; you can access the Wellness Incentive Program directly by either clicking on the purple “Points” box in the upper right or by clicking “Well-Being” and then selecting “Rewards” from the options that display. Next, click on “Biometric Health Screening” under the “Healthy Actions” section in the Wellness Incentive Program.
You can also complete your biometric screening anytime at a LabCorp facility scheduled through Health Advocate, or by visiting your doctor and submitting a completed physician’s form to Health Advocate. No matter how you get your numbers, you’ll receive 100 points ($100) toward the 2024 Wellness Incentive Program!
More Ways to Earn Wellness Incentive Program Points
Make sure you’re all set to start earning points toward the Wellness Incentive Program by first filling out your Personal Health Profile, which is required annually. Review the program FAQs for more information on how to get started, and browse the list of wellness events for 2024. From understanding alternative medicine to learning more about different types of sugar, there are unique and new offerings on so many topics.
Drexel Transit Via TripShot: A New Way to Track Shuttles
The University community can now follow Drexel shuttles with Drexel Transit, powered by TripShot, a user-friendly platform that offers trip planning and the ability to commute with information at your fingertips through real-time notifications, alerts and tracking.
To start using this exciting new tool, download the TripShot app:
- Find TripShot in your app store: iOS | Android
- On the Setup screen, enter “Drexel” as the Service Name and click Next.
- Select “Log in with Drexel Connect” and sign in with your Drexel user ID and password (the same credentials you use to access the DrexelOne portal).
If you have any questions about Drexel Transit, please email transitinfo@drexel.edu.
Coming Soon: DEI Climate Survey
The week of Feb. 5, the University community will receive an invitation via email to participate in a very important survey to help Drexel leadership gauge how students, faculty and professional staff perceive the University's climate and level of support for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Drexel has contracted with a reputable organization‚ the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) — to administer the survey, gather the results and guarantee complete anonymity for all who participate. The Office for Institutional Equity and Inclusive Culture will use the information from the survey to help reimagine their office and to inform and improve support, policies and practices related to diversity and equity, including those to prevent or respond to discrimination and harassment. If you have any questions about this initiative, please email deiclimate@drexel.edu.
Calling All Dragons: Register to Vote in the PA Primary by April 8
2024 is a presidential election year, and there are many other important elections up and down the ballot in every state. It’s never too early to register to vote and/or check your registration status. If you’re voting in Pennsylvania, the deadline to register for the April 23 primary is April 8. Head to vote.phila.gov for information on how to register online, vote by mail and/or find your polling place. Not sure if you’re registered yet? It’s easy to check on pavoterservices.pa.gov. For more resources and important information on this election cycle, visit drexel.edu/vote.
Make the Most of Your Drexel Benefits
- Use Your Tuition Remission: Using Drexel's tuition remission benefits, you can take online, self-paced course/s and/or, instructor led certification course to help you meet your professional goals for 2024. Highlighted courses for the winter term include: Tableau Essentials , Become Your Own Boss and Introduction to Web/User Interface Design and Designing User Experiences. Email goodwin.ce@drexel.edu for more information and to connect with a CPE team member.
- Submit Your 2023 FSA Reimbursement Requests by March 31: You have until March 31 to submit manual reimbursement requests to WEX for both your Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account for claims incurred between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2023, that have not already been paid for using your WEX card.
- Schedule a 1:1 Consultation With TIAA: To schedule a one-on-one consultation meeting with our TIAA representative Sabrina Evenosky, visit tiaa.org/schedulenow. Meetings are one hour and take place at the HR office (3201 Arch St., Suite 430) on either Feb. 29 or March 21. If you need assistance scheduling an in-person investment advice session, contact 800.732.8353, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Donate Unneeded Office Supplies to the Drexel Buy Nothing Depot
Has your office stocked up on supplies that are now sitting idle in a closet? Chances are, these supplies could be put to good use by another office, student group, or individuals on campus. To divert still-useful office products from the landfill and help reduce spending on office supplies, the Climate and Sustainability team is piloting the Drexel Buy Nothing Depot, a free supply-exchange program for Drexel students, faculty and professional staff. We are looking to collect supplies like pens, pencils, Post-It notes, tape, standard-sized binders, printer paper, markers and folders. (Please note that Buy Nothing Depot cannot accept: furniture, printers, binders except small quantities or 1” or 1.5”, hanging files, used toner/ink, large quantities of unused toner/ink, damaged/dirty items.)
If you have items to offer, please email sustainability@drexel.edu with a list of supplies you can donate. We will set up a time to come to your location to review what you have. The goal is to acquire enough donated supplies to have weekly operating hours in which Drexel community members could come browse the depot to stock their office space. For questions, please contact sustainability@drexel.edu.
Climate Action Plan Poll: Tell Us About Transportation!
How do you commute to/from campus or your co-op location? The Climate Action Plan co-chairs want to hear from you! Respond to this month's poll via Qualtrics, and learn more about the Climate Action Plan on the Climate and Sustainability website. As a way of soliciting opinions and priorities across the Drexel community, the Climate Action Plan co-chairs are asking short and sweet poll questions like this monthly, with the opportunity for you to also provide lengthier feedback if you wish.
Drexel Offices Reducing Bottled Water Usage
Drexel is reducing its plastics consumption: across Drexel offices and divisions, spending is down on water cooler deliveries, and that's a win for our work on developing a climate action plan. Plastics manufacturing and pollution as well as water extraction and transportation have substantial impacts on the environment, and Drexel is dialing back its contributions to those impacts. Learn more on the Climate & Sustainability website.
Try Out a SAFE Class This Year
Public Safety’s self-protection program, Self-Awareness for Everyone (SAFE), is split into two sessions: SAFE I and SAFE II. Due to the hands-on nature of the class, we strongly recommend you register with a fellow Dragon. Participation in the techniques is recommended, but not required. Registration is required 72 hours prior to the class. You can register via Eventbrite for these classes. These classes are also available by request for your group.
- SAFE I classes will be offered the second week of every month on Monday and Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. Upcoming classes are on Feb. 12 and 14.
- SAFE II classes will be offered the fourth week of every month on Monday and Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. and cannot be taken until you have completed SAFE I. Upcoming classes are on Feb. 26 and 28.
Policy Compliance Reminders and Updates
- Remember that the director of Policy Compliance Services processes Intake Forms for new and revised Official University Policies ONLY on the first Tuesday of every month. Sponsoring Units may submit Intake Forms at any time, but requests will only be processed on the first Tuesday of each month. The next processing date is Feb. 6.
- Tuition Remission for Faculty and Professional Staff (HR-22) and Tuition Remission for Family Members (HR-23) are both currently under review.
Please visit the Policy Directory for a list of and information on all Official University Policies.