Heard Around Campus — May 2026

By Irene Tsikitas Lin

May 21, 2026

With the end of May, summer is coming closer, as is the end of Drexel University’s spring term. Make sure you’re aware of professional development, mental health and vacation benefits and opportunities coming up. And, in case you missed it: Summer Fridays return next month.

Here’s what was heard around campus:

How to Donate Excess Vacation Time

Drexel's Vacation Leave Donation Policy allows professional staff members to voluntarily donate a portion of their accrued vacation leave balance to a central, University-wide leave donation bank, which professional staff who need additional time can draw upon following approval by their HR Business Partner. (Note: Vacation is the only category of leave time that can be donated to the bank.)

The central leave donation bank is running low, so any vacation leave you have to spare would be greatly appreciated. To donate some of your vacation time or request additional leave time from the donation bank, use the following forms:

Drexel Benefit’s Dependent Verification Audit Begins June 1

To ensure dependents enrolled in Drexel’s benefit plans continue to meet eligibility requirements, Drexel is partnering with WEX to conduct a Dependent Verification Audit for Drexel-sponsored health plans. Benefit-eligible employees with dependents currently enrolled in a Drexel medical, dental and/or vision plan will be required to submit documentation verifying dependent eligibility no later than June 21.

Please be sure to check your email for upcoming communications from WEX with instructions and details regarding required documentation and submission deadlines. Failure to respond will have an impact on your dependents’ coverage enrollment.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping Drexel maintain compliance.

Integrative Offerings for Mental Health Awareness Month

The following opportunities are available to support your well-being as we wrap up Mental Health Awareness Month. Register in Career Pathway and attend to earn 15 wellness points per event ($15 in your pay after you complete your 2026 Personal Health Profile.)

Mental Health and Me, May 26, 11 a.m. to noon: This session from Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provider Health Advocate provides the opportunity to reflect, understand and explore how to care for your mental and emotional well-being.
Chair Yoga: Stretches for Office Workers, May 26, 10–10:45 a.m.: This short, accessible, hands-on movement class features exercises you can use to de-stress and reset throughout the day.
Employee Orientation to EAP: Life and Work Services, May 27, 11 a.m. to noon: This workshop offers a detailed overview of the EAP's benefits and resources to help you with personal, family and work-related challenges.

A Closer Look at Mental Health With IBX

Symptoms of mental health concerns often show up as shifts in mood, thoughts or behavior, or physical symptoms like headaches or digestive issues, which may be overlooked or dismissed. If you are experiencing any symptoms like these, or even if you just haven’t been feeling like yourself, consider that therapy may be a valuable tool. Drexel's medical plan provider, Independence Blue Cross (IBX), has a behavioral health network that includes providers from many focus areas, so you are sure to find the care you need for both general mental health concerns and specialty behavioral health conditions.

IBX also offers one-on-one support and guidance for members through the Behavioral Health Care Navigation team. Call 1.800.688.1911, and IBX's Care Navigators will help you find an in-network provider who fits your needs and preferences, and even directly schedule an appointment for you. You can also log in at ibx.com to search for a therapist in the IBX behavioral health network using the Find a Doctor tool.

Upcoming Employee Engagement Sessions

Drexel University administrative units are hosting function-focused engagement sessions to create meaningful, two-way dialogue between professional staff and administrative leaders, allowing them to share insights on the processes, protocols and systems that shape their work. If you did not receive an invitation but believe one of the following upcoming sessions is relevant to your work, please register using the link provided. Pre-registration is required to attend.

Enrollment Management: May 28, 10 a.m. to noon, Gerri C. LeBow Hall, Room 220
Legal and Risk Management: May 28, 1–3 p.m, Gerri C. LeBow Hall, Room 409
Institutional Advancement: June 4, 1–3 p.m., MacAlister Hall Sky View Room (6th Floor)
Academic Administration, Part 2: June 5, 9–10 a.m., virtual

Leading Across Differences Workshop — June 18

Being able to lead teams in a way that fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment is a vital supervisory skill. Understanding the interactions that can take place on teams as a result of difference, and choosing leadership strategies appropriately, can be challenging. What happens when aspects of social identity and their perceived value divide team members from each other, or even from the supervisor? This workshop, offered on June 18, from 2–3:30 p.m., uses Drexel’s values and commitment to culture and community as foundations for participants to critically examine their own and others’ viewpoints, and to use leadership actions at the personal, interpersonal, community and organizational levels to work through challenging situations.

This session is open to benefits-eligible faculty and professional staff and is a core component of The Art of Management. Register in Career Pathway; you will need to enter your Drexel login credentials.

New! Modern Professional Toolkit Online Certificate Programs

HR’s Talent Development team is offering a series of online certificates providing practical, usable tools to help you tackle today’s work challenges. From tools to help you analyze data, to those that support project planning and execution, and others that introduce helpful methods for problem-solving, this series has just what you need to bring structure and expertise to professional discussions and endeavors.

Sponsor a WorkReady Intern This Summer

Philadelphia Youth Network’s WorkReady Philadelphia summer internship program helps prepare teens and young adults living in West Philadelphia for future careers. Drexel has committed to providing both on-campus and remote internship opportunities through this program. By fully funding 40 intern positions, Drexel allows faculty and professional staff to mentor and support interns at no cost to their departments. Please consider having your office or unit host a young Philadelphian interested in gaining new skills and experience in the workplace.

The 2026 Drexel WorkReady program will run from Monday, July 6, through Friday, August 14, and the supervisor registration deadline is June 19. To learn more about hosting an intern, please visit the Human Resources WorkReady webpage.

Half-Day Summer Fridays

The University will once again offer half-day Summer Fridays for faculty and professional staff from June 19 through the last half day on Sept. 4. (Note: June 19 is a University holiday so Drexel will be closed.)

Special arrangements for time off should be made for faculty and professional staff whose responsibilities may not permit them to take a half day on Friday. Academic units with instructional needs and significant externally sponsored research commitments may also make special arrangements as needed. In addition, all student offices should remain open with a reduced staff for normal operating hours. More details can be found on the HR website. Professional staff affiliated with a collective bargaining unit should refer to their bargaining agreement for applicability.

TIAA: Boosting Your Savings by 1% Could Really Add Up

Consistency is one of the simplest and yet most important strategies for saving—and one that can help you live the life you deserve in retirement. The beauty of it? It does not take much to make a positive impact on your savings. Over time, even the smallest increase can go a long way.

To increase your contributions:

Log in to DrexelOne, then navigate to the Employee tab;
Find the “My Benefits” section and select the link for “Retirement Plan management,” which will directly connect you to your account on TIAA.org without having to supply additional login credentials;

Select “Manage Contribution Amount” under the Accounts menu, update the percentage for your contributions, and set the date to make your change effective.

More news from TIAA:

Three on-demand webinars in Spanish language are now live: Set your retirement date, Investing essentials, and Take control of your financial life.
The latest article from Essentials by TIAA, “Understanding Your Retirement Plan Investments,” covers how to choose, monitor and rebalance investments within your employer plan with clarity and purpose.

Call for Nominations: Compliance Ambassadors Certificate Program

Compliance Program Services (CPS) is currently taking nominations for the Compliance Ambassador Certificate Program, a professional development opportunity that prepares Drexel faculty and professional staff to serve as liaisons to CPS and as proactive compliance and ethics partners for their colleges, schools or administrative units. The mission of the Compliance Ambassador Program is to spread awareness, communications and educational materials to advance compliance and ethics standards at the unit level. Please check out the Nomination Information Announcement for full details on how to get nominated.

Next Orientation Session: The next orientation workshop (virtual) is Oct. 6. Nominations must be received by Oct. 2.

Questions? It’s Okay to Ask! Be sure to review the Compliance Ambassadors Program SharePoint site for more information about the program and session dates. Email compliance@drexel.edu with any questions.

Support for Questions About NIH Research Rules

In an April message to the University community, the Office of Research and Innovation (ORI) and the Office of the Comptroller acknowledged that the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) recent issuance of NOT-OD-26-072 has generated questions about whether NIH indirect cost rules have changed again—and whether this creates an adverse impact for Drexel investigators. The Comptroller and ORI have developed an FAQ to support the Drexel community in navigating these updates, address common questions, and offer further clarification. Overall, for NIH grants, none of the recently announced “expanded” indirect cost flexibilities ultimately apply—NIH has reverted to the prior indirect cost framework, and Drexel should continue budgeting NIH awards accordingly. Please refer to the message and FAQs for more details.

The 2026 Tree of the Year is Crowned!

Drexel Climate & Sustainability and EcoReps are pleased to announce the winner of the 2026 Drexel Tree of the Year pageant: the Kwanzan cherry (also known as Prunus serrulata ‘Kwanzan’) located between Lancaster Walk and the volleyball courts on the University City campus. Members of the Drexel community celebrated the unveiling of the tree's commemorative plaque on May 14.

The tree was nominated by Cameron Faulhaber ('27 Environmental Studies & Sustainability and Global Studies), who says of the tree: "I’m nominating this tree because I pass it all the time and I love seeing the flowers bloom in the spring and cover the ground/people in pink petals. I see a lot of people climbing it or reading underneath it and it makes people happy. :)"