Heard Around Campus — February 2026

By Irene Tsikitas Lin

February 23, 2026

There’s no better time than the present — and upcoming weeks — to learn how to responsibly get rid of items on campus, make your meetings matter and earn money while improving your financial fitness.

Here’s what was heard around campus last month.

Congratulations to Drexel’s Distinguished Professors!

The Office of the Provost recently announced the cohort of Distinguished Professors under Drexel University's new Distinguished Professor Policy, the highest title the University can bestow on a member of the full-time faculty. Following rigorous evaluation, three exemplary leaders emerged who embody the very best of Drexel. They will be honored at the Faculty Awards Ceremony in April:

Charles N. Haas, PhD, LD Betz Chair of Environmental Engineering, Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering.
Nancy D. Spector, MD, professor of Pediatrics, Betty A. Cohen Chair in Women's Health and senior vice dean for faculty, College of Medicine.
Akhil B. Vaidya, PhD, professor of microbiology & immunology and director of the Center for Molecular Parasitology, College of Medicine.

Public Safety Wants Your Feedback

Drexel Public Safety is seeking your feedback on the services provided by the Drexel Police Department and the Public Safety Communications Center. This annual public comment period is part of the entities’ accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), which they have earned and maintained since November 2011. You can provide feedback in the form of commendations and/or concerns via their respective public comment portals:

March 19 Workshop: Managing Within the Law

“Managing Within the Law,” scheduled for March 19 from 10–11:30 a.m., focuses on what every manager needs to know about creating a safe and inclusive work environment. Participants will learn where to turn for help in engaging staff, creating an inclusive and welcoming environment, understanding disability and other accommodations, and issue spotting. There is a required pre-work assignment for this workshop, consisting of a short online course that will provide some foundational information on these important topics. This session is open to anyone who is interested in the topic and is a required component of The Art of Management Certificate program. Register in Career Pathway.

E-Waste Recycling Collections March 17–19

The annual Campus Race to Zero Waste recycling competition is underway from Feb. 1 through March 28. Drexel Real Estate and Facilities will be collecting electronics for recycling at dedicated collection events on all three Philadelphia campuses, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the following dates and locations. See complete details on the Campus Race to Zero Waste webpage:

Center City: New College Building Loading Dock on March 17
Queen Lane: Outside the main entrance in front of flagpole on March 18
University City: Recreation Center Lobby, 33^rd and Market streets on March 19

Earn Money While Improving Your Financial Fitness

In partnership with Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union, Drexel’s financial literacy partner, the Wellness Incentive Program is offering multiple online workshops beginning in March. Please register in Career Pathway for the workshops of your choice:

Women and Investing: March 18, 11 a.m.
Three Transitions to Retirement: April 7, 1 p.m.
Budgeting Hacks: April 8, noon
Financial Hacks: June 3, 11 a.m.

You can earn 15 Wellness Incentive Program points ($15 in your pay) for every workshop you attend. Be sure to complete your annual Personal Health Profile in the Health Advocate Portal to earn payouts for earned points.

Stop by Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union’s on-campus branch at 3200 Chestnut Street to open an account or to set up a time to speak with a free financial advisor.

You’re Invited: ProcureExperience & Supplier Expo on March 25

You’re invited to join Drexel University’s ProcureExperience & Supplier Expo, a dynamic, in-person event designed to connect suppliers, campus stakeholders and the Accounts Payable & Procurement Services team.

Date: March 25
Time: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Location: Health Sciences Building, 60 N. 36th Street
Registration: Register online to secure your spot and select breakout sessions. You can use the same link to modify or cancel your registration.

AI in Action: Project Planning Certificate Now Available

The AI in Action: Project Planning Certificate is a multi-level, online learning experience for professionals who want to confidently plan, lead and govern AI-enabled projects, regardless of their technical background. You will be guided through the full AI project planning lifecycle, from foundational concepts to advanced, strategic integration of AI tools. Participants learn to identify the right business problems for AI, translate objectives into project plans, manage data and risk and apply AI responsibly to enhance forecasting and decision-making.

Across three progressive courses, learners gain practical frameworks, real-world case studies and hands-on planning activities that reflect how modern organizations plan and execute AI projects. The program emphasizes business value, ethical responsibility and governance, ensuring that AI is used as a decision-support tool rather than a replacement for human judgment. Upon completion, learners will be able to plan realistic, values-driven and goal-aligned projects — whether they’re starting their first AI project or optimizing complex, enterprise-level programs with tools like Microsoft Copilot.

Visit Career Pathway for more information and to register for AI in Action: Project Planning Certificate.

How to Make Your Meetings Matter

“That meeting should have been an email.” “That meeting went 30 minutes over and now I’m backed up for the rest of the day!” “All that time spent in that meeting, and it’s still not clear what we’re doing.”

Does this sound familiar? To address these and other frequent complaints about meetings and provide guidance to faculty and professional staff for holding more effective, efficient meetings, the HR Talent Development team has created new online courses, along with the following new certificate programs:

Donate Office Supplies, Clothing and More to Buy Nothing Depot

Drexel's Buy Nothing Depot in the PSA Building, operated by the Climate & Sustainability team with the student organization EcoReps, is having its busiest year yet. Aligning with the international buy-nothing movement, this program facilitates giving and receiving in the spirit of generosity and sustainability. Imagine a tiny thrift store where everything is free, available to everyone in the Drexel community. In addition to office supplies, the depot now accepts art supplies, electronics, housewares, clothing, accessories, home decor, books, and more. If you have no-longer-needed items in good working order and want to give them away instead of throwing them in the trash, contact sustainability@drexel.edu or stop by during Buy Nothing Depot hours, between 2–4 p.m. on Wednesdays during the academic terms. The depot is closed during finals and break weeks.

Reminder: DragonCard Needed to Board Drexel Shuttles

As a reminder from Drexel Transportation, upon boarding Drexel’s shuttle buses, you must present your valid Drexel ID, or you will be denied entry. Tap your DragonCard on the blue card reader at the front of the bus upon boarding.

New Lactation Space in Gerri C. LeBow Hall

A new lactation space is now available for use in Gerri C. LeBow Hall, 3220 Market Street. Equipped with a table, chair, footrest and refrigerator, the space is located on the third floor of the building in Suite 312, Office 324. It is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., to members of the Drexel community with a valid DragonCard, which is required to access the room. To reserve and gain access to the space, complete the request form.

Submit Course Materials for Spring Quarter 2026 by Feb. 27

The eCampus FAST Adoption Portal is open for faculty and administrators to submit course materials for Spring Quarter courses. You can access the portal via the “Faculty” tab in DrexelOne. Resources and support are available to assist with submitting course adoptions information, including the Quick Start Guide [PDF] and FAQs for Faculty [PDF]. You may also contact the Drexel Online Bookstore team at drexel@ecampus.com.

Important Changes to Catch-Up Contributions for 2026

Section 603 of the SECURE 2.0 Act requires "catch-up" contributions for 403(b) plan participants aged 50 or older to be made on a Roth (after-tax) basis. You may be affected by these rules if you:

Are a Drexel employee aged 50 or older
Earned W-2 wages over $150,000 in 2025
Typically contribute the maximum plus catch-up or super catch-up contributions
Contribute pre-tax and/or Roth

If you do not take action:

Pre-tax deductions will stop once you reach the standard limit ($24,500).
Employees aged 50–59 and 64+ will miss out on $8,000 catch-up contribution.
Employees aged 60–63 will miss out on $11,250 super catch-up contribution.

To take action, log in to DrexelOne, navigate to the Employee Tab > My Benefits > Retirement Plan Management. Update your contribution percentages under “Manage Contribution Amount.” Be sure that your total contribution percentage equals the sum of your pre-tax and Roth percentages. For example, if your salary deferral is 14%, it may be allocated as 13% pre-tax and 1% Roth. If you have any questions about contribution limits or how to update your elections, email drexel403b@drexel.edu.

NIH Salary Cap Increase

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has increased the NIH Salary Cap for Executive Level II to $228,000, effective Jan. 1 through Sept. 30, 2026. Salaries above the $228,000 limit must be allocated to the impacted grant’s cost share fund.

The previous salary cap of $225,700 must be applied for all awards issued during the period Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025. For active awards restricted to Executive Level II, including competing awards already issued in FY2026, if adequate funds are available, and if the salary cap increase is consistent with the institutional base salary, grantees may re-budget funds to accommodate the current Executive Level II salary level. However, no additional funds will be provided for these grant awards.

You can read the full context of the guidance and a historical record of the salary cap, including effective dates, on the NIH website. If you have any questions regarding the new rates, please contact ras@drexel.edu.

2025 FSA Reimbursements Are Due By March 31

If you were enrolled in a 2025 health care and/or dependent care flexible spending account (FSA), March 31, 2026, is the final due date to submit any unreimbursed claims for services incurred from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31, 2025. You can find more information on what eligible expenses are by logging into your FSA portal via DrexelOne or you reviewing the list of eligible expenses on the WEX website.

Manual claims are submitted electronically through the My Drexel Benefits portal, located in the Employee tab of DrexelOne. For assistance, please contact the Drexel University Benefits Center at 844.690.3992 or help@mybenefitexpress.com.

Important Tax Return Document Now Available

2025 W-2 forms are now available online in DrexelOne. Go to the Employee Tab, BannerWeb Employee Dashboard, Taxes, W-2 Wage and Tax Statement, and select 2025. More detailed instructions are available on the Comptroller website. To keep your information confidential and secure, print your W-2 at a location where you can pick it up immediately from the printer, or print your W-2 at home. Didn’t sign up for online delivery? There’s still time to log in to DrexelOne and consent to online delivery. Please contact the Payroll Department at payroll@drexel.edu with questions.

Full Physical Equipment Inventory Is Underway

Fiscal year 2026 (FY26) is considered a base year for developing the facilities and administrative rate proposal for submission to the Division of Cost Allocation of the Department of Health and Human Services. One of the major base-year activities is conducting a physical equipment inventory of all fixed and moveable equipment owned by the University. Representatives from Inventory-ID (formerly Asset Services) are expected to be on site through the end of February. Drexel Real Estate and Facilities is coordinating the approximate timeline of the inventory and access to the necessary spaces. Each department being inventoried needs to have a representative physically present on campus to assist with the inventory. Please review the announcement on the Comptroller website for more details about this process.