Heard Around Campus — September 2026
With the start of fall term comes some annual processes — Open Enrollment and Enterprise Learning, for a few examples — as well as new intiiatives, such as Let's Go Blue Gold!
Here's what was heard around campus last month:
Let’s Go Blue Gold: Wear Your Dragon Pride Every Wednesday
Let's Go Blue Gold! is Drexel’s new weekly tradition that encourages students, faculty and professional staff to show their Dragon pride by wearing blue and gold every Wednesday. The initiative celebrates school spirit, strengthens community connections, and creates opportunities for Dragons to engage with one another across campus. Participants who are spotted wearing Drexel gear may be selected by the Go Blue Gold Street Team to receive official Drexel swag, courtesy of sponsor Rally House. Whether you're in class, at an event or walking across campus, every Wednesday is a chance to show your Dragon pride and be part of the tradition.
Bring No-Longer-Needed Items to the Buy Nothing Depot
The Buy Nothing Depot, operated by Drexel Climate & Sustainability and located in the PSA Building (3240 Powelton Ave.), is looking for inventory in any of these categories:
- school supplies, like notebooks and pens;
- computer monitors and keyboards;
- lab coats;
- housewares, especially dishware, mugs, cooking implements, and kitchen tools; and
- clothing and bedding.
Items should be clean and in good working order! Please launder any clothing and bedding before bringing it to the space.
Drexel's Buy Nothing Depot is a resource for everyone in the Drexel community, and is grounded in the value of generosity. There is a space full of secondhand items made available to students, staff and faculty at no cost, for use in coursework, the office or at home. Fall term operating hours are Wednesday afternoons from 2–4 p.m. If you have items to donate, please drop by during open hours. And everyone is welcome to come and browse the shelves.
Drexel Named One of America’s Top 100 Healthiest Workplaces
Drexel University has been named one of the 2026 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America by Healthiest Employers, a national awards program recognizing organizations that prioritize employee health and wellbeing. Last month, the same organization named Drexel the No. 2 healthiest employer in Pennsylvania and Delaware, for the second year in a row.
Get Ready: 2027 Open Enrollment Starts Oct. 21
Drexel’s open enrollment season for 2027 runs from Oct. 21 through Nov. 11, 2026. Faculty and professional staff are encouraged to review their current benefit information on the My Drexel Benefits portal via DrexelOne (located in the Employee tab). Once in the portal, select "Benefits Profile” on the left side of the screen, which gives you the option to view your benefits information, dependents and beneficiaries.
October Benefits Fairs and Vaccine Clinics
Vaccines for influenza and COVID-19 will be available to faculty and professional staff during the open enrollment benefit fairs being hosted on the University City and Elkins Park campuses. Pre-registration is required, along with insurance information. Please use the registration links below for each location.
University City: Tuesday, Oct. 27
Behrakis Grand Hall, Creese Student Center, 3210 Chestnut Street
- Benefit Fair: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Flu Vaccine Clinic: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Elkins Park: Thursday, Oct. 29
Hafter Student Community Center
- Benefit Fair & Flu Vaccine Clinic: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Earn Money in Your Paycheck With Fall Wellness Programs
Eligible employees and their spouses/partners can each earn $50 by receiving an annual flu vaccine before Nov. 30. Flu shots must be self-reported on Drexel's wellness incentive program portal. For instructions on how to log in to the portal, FAQs and eligibility information, visit the Wellness Incentive Program webpage.
You can also earn $15 (15 wellness points) for each benefits information session you attend this fall. Don’t delay, as the deadline to earn 2026 wellness incentive points is Nov. 30, 2026. Please register in Career Pathway for the virtual workshops of your choice:
- Oct. 28, noon: Medicare Basics: What You Need to Know
- Nov. 4, noon: Navigating the Wellness Incentive Program
- Nov. 11, noon: Employee Orientation to EAP: Life and Work Services
Update on Independence Blue Cross and Jefferson Health
Independence Blue Cross (IBX) and Jefferson Health are currently negotiating their provider agreement, and some members of the Drexel community have received, or may soon receive, correspondence directly from one or both organizations about these discussions. Drexel Human Resources recognizes that these types of communications can be concerning, particularly if you or a family member receives care through Jefferson Health. At this time, there are no changes to your Drexel medical benefits or access to care as a result of these discussions. HR is monitoring the situation closely and will keep faculty and professional staff informed of any developments that may affect your benefits or access to care.
Starting Soon: Wednesday Workshops on Finance and HR Processes
The Office of the Comptroller, in collaboration with Human Resources, Budget, HR Information Systems, and Research Accounting Services, is launching a four-part Finance Employee Engagement Workforce Lifecycle Workshop Series this October. The series is open to faculty and professional staff members, regardless of role or department. Whether you work directly with finance and personnel processes or simply want to better understand how these functions intersect with your work, your perspective is valuable and welcomed. Participation in all four workshops is not required; you may choose the session(s) that best fit your needs. Those who do complete all four workshops will earn a professional development certificate.
Register in Career Pathway. Read the announcement on the Office of the Comptroller website for more details.
Additional Employee Engagement Sessions This Fall
Drexel University administrative units regularly host function-focused Employee Engagement Sessions to foster two-way communication, strengthen relationships, and encourage collaboration across the University. All professional staff members are welcome to register and attend any session, regardless of your college, unit or functional area. You can view all coming events on the Employee Engagement Sessions webpage.
Please register in advance via Career Pathway for any sessions you plan to attend. (Some events are not available for registration yet, but you are encouraged to save the date.)
- Library, Archives and Collections – Employee Engagement Session 2: Oct. 20, 10 a.m. to noon, Main Building, 3rd Floor, A.J. Drexel Picture Gallery
- Human Resources – Employee Engagement Session 2: Nov. 5, 1–3 p.m., MacAlister Hall, 6th Floor, Sky View
- Student Affairs and Campus Life – Employee Engagement Session 2: Nov. 10, 12–2 p.m., Gerri C. LeBow Hall, 2nd Floor, Room 220
- Institutional Advancement – Employee Engagement Session 2: Nov. 12, 10 a.m. to noon, MacAlister Hall, 6th Floor, Sky View
- Enrollment Management – Employee Engagement Session 2: Nov. 18, 1–3 p.m., Gerri C. LeBow Hall, 2nd Floor, Room 220
Annual Enterprise Learning Due Nov. 2
The required online Enterprise Learning courses that all faculty and professional staff must complete by Nov. 2 are:
- Protection of Minors and Reporting Child Abuse
- Drexel University Information Security Compliance
- Understanding Title IX
- CR-1 Policy on Prohibited Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation
- A Safe Campus Community: Personal Safety for Faculty, Professional Staff and Students
You can read more about these courses on the HR website. All the required courses are available for completion in Your Transcript in Career Pathway. Please ensure you have permanently allowed pop-ups and redirects for Career Pathway using these instructions.
Conflict of Interest Disclosure Due Nov. 2
All faculty and professional staff must complete the Annual Conflict of Interest and Commitment Disclosure by Nov. 2. (View the Conflict of Interest and Code of Conduct policies on the University Policy Directory.) The Conflict of Interest and Commitment Disclosure form is located in DrexelOne, not in Career Pathway. To access the Annual Conflict of Interest and Commitment report, log in to DrexelOne, navigate to the Employee tab, and select Conflict of Interest Disclosure under the Compliance and Privacy Programs channel.
Last Call: Nominations for Compliance Ambassadors Certificate Program
Nominations are due by Oct. 2 for the Compliance Ambassador Certificate Program, a professional development opportunity that prepares Drexel faculty and professional staff to serve as liaisons to Compliance Program Services and as proactive compliance and ethics partners for their colleges, schools or administrative units. Please see the Compliance Ambassador Program SharePoint for full details, and email compliance@drexel.edu with any questions.
Support for Annual Professional Staff Performance Development
The performance development process is intended to create an environment in which professional staff members and managers hold regular, productive conversations about staff members’ growth and development. Managers will formally recognize staff members’ accomplishments and provide feedback to support their learning and growth, contributing to engagement and a development mindset.
This annual process is currently underway for professional staff who were active before May 1, 2026. (Those who were hired on or after May 1, 2026, will still be in, or have just completed, their introductory period and will complete the introductory review.)
To guide and support you through the process, please see the following resources:
- Guidance on responding to performance development prompts – strengths and accomplishments, learning and growth opportunities, and ways a manager can support learning and growth
Managers: Tracking Your Team’s Progress in Career Pathway
Manager instructions for viewing their teams’ reviews can be found on the Performance Timeline and Access webpage. Managers and unit leaders can use various tools to track the progress of their teams' professional development and to ensure that required enterprise learning courses are being completed on time.
Managers can check progress person-by-person or run a training progress report for their teams any time using either the Training Progress Pie Chart report or the Training Status Summary report in Career Pathway. Detailed instructions for these tracking options are now available on the HR website. Starting later in September, your team's progress will also be shown in the Administrative Dashboard in DrexelOne.