Heard Around Campus — May 2024

View of Drexel Main Building Main Court

Registration Open for the Employee Olympics on June 18

The annual Employee Olympics returns on June 18 from 2–5 p.m., and registration is open through June 14. New for this year, you can register for both a competitive sport (baggo, dodgeball, beach volleyball or pickleball) and the Fun Walk! Also new for this year, the Olympics will feature a “basketball skills” challenge (registration recommended but not required), mini-yoga sessions and lawn games galore. To register and see all details, visit the HR website. If you have any questions about the event, email Intramurals Coordinator Louis Monroe at ldm72@drexel.edu.

Survey: Help Business Services Shape Community Spaces for Faculty and Staff

Drexel Business Services is collecting information about faculty and professional staff members’ preferences for having dedicated space and programming on the University City Campus. The information you provide in this brief survey on space and programming preferences will help Business Services make informed decisions regarding space and services dedicated to faculty and professional staff.

Schedule an In-person Consultation With TIAA

To schedule a one-on-one consultation meeting with Drexel’s TIAA representative Sabrina Evenosky, visit tiaa.org/schedulenow. Meetings are one hour long and will take place at the Human Resources office (3201 Arch St., Suite 430) on June 27. If you need assistance scheduling an in-person investment advice session, contact 800.732.8353, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

Free Finance Webinars Provided by TIAA

Reserve your spot in a TIAA retirement webinar by visiting tiaa.org/webinars. The following are available in June:

  • “Write your next chapter: 5 steps to setting your retirement date” (June 4, noon–1 p.m.)
  • “Charting your course: A financial guide for women” (June 12, 2–3 p.m.)
  • “The starting line: Beginning to save for retirement” (June 20, 3–4 p.m.)
  • “Take control of your financial life: 5 steps to managing money and debt” (June 24, 1–2 p.m.)

Rise to Lead with Drexel Leaders: The Art of Management

Effective leadership is a journey and more of an art than a science. Drexel Leaders: The Art of Management, formerly recognized as the popular Supervisory Certificate Program, is a self-paced online leadership program for current and aspiring managers. Rooted in providing a comprehensive and diverse range of learning opportunities, the program explores topics essential to your success as a manager, from better understanding yourself as a professional to effectively leading a team. The estimated time to complete the program is 25 hours. Visit the HR website for more information, including a course outline and how to register.

News Dragons SOAR: HR’s Yearlong Onboarding Plan for Staff

New Dragons SOAR (Successful Onboarding and Accessible Resources) is Drexel Human Resources’ full-year onboarding plan for new professional staff hires to provide support and information and clarify requirements, in addition to the New Dragon Welcome orientation program they attend shortly after hire. As of this month, all new professional staff members will have the onboarding plan assigned to their transcripts in Career Pathway. Managers should encourage new hires to refer to the onboarding plan frequently and follow up on the requirements, recommendations and information included in the plan. For details, please review the announcement on the HR website.

Remember to do a Mid-year Performance Check-in

Now is a great time to check in with your manager to discuss progress on goals, accomplishments and other professional development activities. If you have not done so already for this performance cycle, you should aim to set two to three results-based goals that describe where you are going and help you and your manager chart a path toward success. This check-in is a valuable way to develop a supportive and forward-looking manager-staff relationship, and it is good practice to incorporate these check-ins on a regular basis. For more information on goal setting, visit the HR website.

Collaborate Ultra No Longer Available After June 13

With the broad popularity of Zoom and Teams for remote course meetings, and in an effort to reduce redundant systems, Class Collaborate Ultra will be removed from Drexel Learn on June 13, 2024 and will not be used past spring term. Faculty teaching in the 2024 summer term should make sure they are not using Collaborate, as it will be removed in the middle of that term. Faculty can use either Teams or Zoom to conduct their remote course sessions. A Zoom connection within Drexel Learn is also available to provide a more integrated experience with that tool. Any faculty who need assistance with transitioning to another web conferencing platform can reach out to the Instructional Technology Group at itg@drexel.edu for assistance. 

FY24 Resources from the Office of the Comptroller

  • FY24 Year-End Closing Schedule: In preparation for the end of the 2024 fiscal year, these guidelines and calendar outline the standard closing requirements. Please review and circulate this information so that everyone is familiar with the guidelines and important deadlines. This resource will assist in making the year-end closing process more efficient. 
  • FY24 Accrual and Deferral Process: This timeline describes the accrual and deferral process for the upcoming fiscal year close. The handling of prepaid expense deferrals and expense accruals will be consistent with the last eight fiscal years. Examples of treatment of prepaid expenses, accrued expense and accrued accounts receivable treatment are described within.

June 12: Journal Entry Workflow 3.0 Training

The Office of the Comptroller will be hosting a Journal Entry Workflow 3.0 virtual training session via Zoom on Wednesday, June 12, 1–3 p.m., just in time for fiscal year-end close. Participants will learn in a hands-on environment how to submit and approve journal entries (funding transfers, transaction corrections, accruals and reversals) using the Journal Entry Workflow 3.0 in a test environment. Session link will be provided after registration in Career Pathway.

Policy Compliance Updates and Reminders

  • Policies Under Review: Tuition Remission for Faculty and Professional Staff (HR-22) and Tuition Remission for Family Members (HR-23) are currently under review. Please visit the Policy Directory for a list of all Official University Policies and information about them, including their current statuses.
  • Whom to Contact with Policy Questions: The Responsible Executive listed on each Official University Policy is designated as the primary contact for that policy, and any questions about that policy should be directed to the Responsible Executive or their office. If you are having difficulty determining whom to contact with questions about a specific policy, please email the Director of Policy Compliance Services at policy@drexel.edu for clarification.