Heard Around Campus — January
For the first month of 2018, Drexel University has put on a lot of events and updates — with even more to come in the following months. Here’s what was heard around campus for Drexel faculty and staff in January.
Register Now for an On-site Health Screening
Faculty and professional staff who are enrolled in a Drexel medical plan or who participate in the medical opt-out waiver will be eligible to earn up to $400 in premium or waiver credits through our 2018 Wellness Incentive Program. Register today at healthadvocate.com/drexel, and consider signing up for an on-site biometric health screening on Feb. 27 in Behrakis Grand Hall (Creese Student Center). Knowing your numbers for non-fasting cholesterol, body mass index, blood glucose and blood pressure can help you get started with a baseline measurement of your overall health.
Schedule your screening appointment by visiting healthadvocate.com/drexel and clicking “Complete Your Health Screening” from the “To Do List” section, and then selecting “Schedule” under the “Attend an On-site Health Screening Event.” Space is limited, and you must register to attend. If you are unable to attend the on-site screening, you can complete your screening using either a lab voucher or a physician form (click here for details). Either way, you will earn 100 points (a $100 credit) for completing the screening.
Please note that Drexel will not have access to any personal health information obtained or provided by faculty and professional staff through this wellness incentive program; all personal health information will be kept completely anonymous and confidential.
February I-Forum Takes a Community Focus
We often refer to Drexel constituencies as students, faculty, professional staff and community, but what role does community really play in life at Drexel? That question will be the focus of the next meeting of the Forum for Inclusive Culture ("I-Forum"), which is scheduled for Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. in the James E. Marks Intercultural Center (3225 Arch St.). This meeting is being co-sponsored by the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement and the Office of Equality and Diversity. Participants are welcome to bring lunch; sweet treats will be provided. Email jkrohn@drexel.edu to RSVP, provide feedback on the discussion topic and/or suggest additional agenda items.
All are welcome to participate in the I-Forum, a space for students, faculty, professional staff and community members to gather quarterly to address issues of diversity and inclusion at Drexel. Meetings typically begin with announcements, have a central discussion topic, and close out with suggestions, determination of next steps and troubleshooting. If you are new to the I-Forum and would like to talk about how you can contribute, do not hesitate to contact the Office of Equality and Diversity’s Associate Director of Education and Prevention Jesse Krohn at jkrohn@drexel.edu.
Helping Drexel Faculty, Professional Staff Meet Eagles’ Autism Challenge
Drexel President John Fry announced that the University will cover the registration fee for 100 faculty or professional staff entering the Philadelphia Eagles’ Autism Challenge, a bike ride and family-friendly 5K run/walk. The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute will be one of three autism research centers in the region to share in the proceeds from the event.
OED-1: Discrimination, Harassment, and Bias Incident Prevention Policy
Drexel's Discrimination, Harassment, and Bias Incident Prevention Policy was recently updated.
STEM Education Travel Award
The Office of the Provost sent an email on Jan. 26 describing the STEM Education Travel Award, which will allow the development of wider expertise on campus centered around evidence-based teaching. The award will support two full-time tenure-track or teaching faculty members in a STEM department with two years of teaching at Drexel under their belt, a course load half full of teaching in the undergraduate level, and the expectation of attending a meeting in 2018 that either focuses on education/STEM education/educational assessment and is a discipline-specific meeting where they are presenting an education talk/workshop. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 28.
Want to find out more (beyond tracking down that email)? Contact mlc439@drexel.edu.
Global Classroom Workshop: How to Develop a Global Classroom
From a Jan. 22 email sent from the Office of the Provost:
Join the Office of International Programs (OIP), experienced Global Classroom faculty, and your fellow Drexel faculty colleagues in a workshop that will provide a “how-to” hands-on exercise in developing a Global Classroom. Faculty will work in teams to simulate the development of a Global Classroom, brainstorm ideas for collaborative, interdisciplinary project-based learning and discuss the challenges and virtues of virtual collaboration.
February 8, 12–1 p.m.
Papadakis Integrated Science Building, Room 103
Chestnut Street & 33rd Street
Lunch will be provided.
Since 2013, the OIP has facilitated over 55 Global Classrooms from across disciplines, reaching over 2,000 students at Drexel and across the globe.
For more information or to register for the workshop, please contact Adam Zahn at alz26@drexel.edu.
Diversity & Inclusion Spotlight: Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences’ marquee diversity and inclusion achievement in FY2017 was the 2016 Intercultural Engagement & Diversity President’s Award it won for the Women in Natural Sciences (WINS) program. WINS connected 15 girls from Philadelphia and 15 girls from Mongolia through online lessons and meetings focused on environmental health and sustainability, and several girls even got the opportunity to travel to Mongolia. With its powerful local and global impact, the program is a shining example of how academic and cultural institutions can be a force for positive change.
The Academy has also made strides in promoting Dragon culture internally, with professional staff leading the charge by forming an internal group called the Equity and Inclusion Committee.
“The goal for [the committee] is to have a forum in which likeminded individuals who want to advocate and give voice to the concerns of those who are passionate about diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility can do so in a safe place,” said Marilyn Torres, senior director of visitor experience at the Academy and one of the committee’s leaders. “It is a place where we can identify what we already do, what we don’t do, and what we can do better.”
The group is working to develop concrete goals and plans, and Torres said they are looking forward to working with the Academy’s new CEO and President Scott Cooper “to advocate for a more equitable and inclusive institution.”
This Diversity & Inclusion Spotlight was excerpted from the FY2017 Diversity Achievement Plan Accomplishments Supplement, an annual report celebrating the diversity and inclusion-related achievements of each of Drexel’s academic and administrative units. You can view the FY2017 Supplement here. For general questions about diversity and inclusion initiatives at Drexel, please contact the Office of Equality & Diversity at oed@drexel.edu.