It’s a new year (well, a month into a new year) and there’s a lot that’s happened at Drexel. There was a return to campus for about 1,900 faculty and professional staff (an increase of over 400 individuals), but whether you were included in that phase or not, there are some news, events and deadlines that are relevant, from being aware of health benefits and opportunities to making sure you review your first 2021 pay stub.
Here’s what was heard around campus in January:
Drexel Police Raise Awareness of Recent Car Thefts in The Triangle
As detailed in a “Timely Warning” message sent to the University community on Jan. 22, Drexel Public Safety has seen a continued increase in motor vehicle thefts within and around the University City Campus, occurring at various times of day. In most cases, the vehicles were left unoccupied and running with keys inside. This month, The Triangle student newspaper published an article detailing the Drexel Police Department’s efforts to spread awareness about the uptick in car thefts and to promote safe, responsible practices for the community. You can read the article, which includes information and advice shared by Drexel Community Relations Officers Kim McClay and Thomas Cirone, on The Triangle’s website.
Learn Everything You Need to Know About Drexel’s Wellness Incentive Program
Want to maximize your wellness points and earn your $400 faster? Curious about your spouse/partner’s eligibility or how to sync your smart watch? Come learn everything you ever wanted to know about Drexel’s award-winning Wellness Incentive Program at Human Resources’ virtual event, Navigating the Wellness Incentive Program, on Feb. 17 from 1–2 p.m. Please register in Career Pathway. Attendees of this program will earn 15 wellness points for learning how to optimize this popular program.
Book Your Complementary Biometric Screening (And Earn $100!)
With the uncertainty of COVID-19 still looming large, you have two easy options to schedule your free biometric screening through the Wellness Incentive Program. To protect your safety and support social distancing, we will not be holding a screening day on campus this year. However, you can either visit your Primary Care Physician or book an appointment to visit a LabCorp facility:
- Log in to the Wellness Incentive Program and click on the arrow in the upper right-hand “My To-Do List” that says “Complete Your Health Screening.”
- On the next page, either download and print a “Physician Form” to take directly to your primary care physician, or click on “Find a LabCorp Location” to schedule an appointment at the LabCorp location of your choice. Please print your LabCorp voucher while scheduling.
- When scheduling your LabCorp appointment, please select “Employee Wellness with Body Measurements” as the reason for your visit. For payment method, select “Other.” The cost of the appointment will be billed to Drexel.
- The process is the same for spouses/partners participating in the Wellness Incentive Program.
Your Biometric Screening is worth 100 points ($100 in your paycheck); however, please note that you must complete your 2021 Personal Health Profile before any payouts can be processed.
If you have questions about this process, please call 1.866.695.8622.
Review Your First Pay Stub of 2021
Happy New Year! To kick off the new year, the Drexel Benefits team strongly encourages you to review your first paystub of 2021 to ensure that your Open Enrollment elections are accurately reflected in your benefit deductions. The benefit elections you made during open enrollment went into effect on Jan. 1, 2021, along with the medical plan rate increase of 1%. It is very important to review your first paystub of 2021 to confirm that your benefit deductions are accurate. If you have any concerns, please contact the HR Service Center at hr@drexel.edu.
University Contributions to Your Health Savings Account
If you are enrolled in the Consumer Directed Health Plan, the University will contribute to your health saving account (HSA) each January in the amount of $500 for individual coverage and $1,000 for employee plus dependent coverage. The funds will be deposited in your HSA account within five business days of your first paycheck in 2021. For details on deposit dates and how to view your paystub, please refer to the “Benefits Reminders for January 2021” item in this month’s HR @ Your Service. If you have any concerns, please contact the HR Service Center at hr@drexel.edu.
Center City and Queen Lane Shuttle Service Expanding
Drexel University shuttle bus service along the Dragon route (Center City) and Queen Lane route will begin running on extended schedules starting Feb. 1. The Dragon Route will run from 7:15 a.m. to 11 p.m., and the Queen Lane Route will run from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. For complete shuttle bus schedule information, visit the Transportation Services section of the Real Estate and Facilities website. Click through to each shuttle route’s webpage for the new schedules that will take effect Feb. 1.
Guide to Dining & Retail Locations Open Around Campus
If you are returning to campus and are unsure what retailers are open, Drexel Business Services is in close contact with the private retail and dining establishments who operate on and near the University City Campus. Many are offering a Dragon Special to welcome back the campus community. Anyone desiring new Dragon gear as part of their return to campus essentials are invited to check out Barnes & Noble's discount for faculty, professional staff and alumni. For an updated list of what is open, visit the Dining and Retail Directory on Drexel Business Services' website. Be sure to contact the individual businesses directly to confirm hours of operation and offerings.
Construction Update
Several major construction projects happening on and around campus reached substantial completion at the end of 2020, including the Main Building roof and skylight renovations, the Powel Elementary/Science Leadership Academy Middle School, and the Arlen Specter US Squash Center. (“Substantial completion” means the work is mainly done, although crews may remain on site to put on the finishing touches.) For more construction updates, visit the Current Projects page on the Real Estate and Facilities website. To receive email notification of construction work, scheduled utility shutoffs and other scheduled maintenance work being performed by Real Estate and Facilities, please send an email to listserv@lists.drexel.edu with only the following information in the body of the message: subscribe facilities-notices-L.
Journal Workflow 2.0 Virtual Training Sessions
Save the date for two upcoming virtual training sessions on Journal Workflow 2.0., which will be available in Career Pathway:
- Feb. 16, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- June 16, 1–3 p.m.
Please contact acct11@drexel.edu with any questions.
Reminder From General Accounting
Departments who are expecting any receipts of funds (deposits): Please email General Accounting at acct11@drexel.edu with the expected receipt amount as well as FOAPAL to apply this receipt.
Concur Chosen for Travel & Expense Management Software
Following a recent Request for Proposal (RFP) for travel and expense management software and travel management, Procurement Services, in consultation with the Travel RFP Advisory Group, has elected to award the software portion to Concur. Concur was the clear choice based on both its offerings and the highly competitive pricing quoted. Concur's solution will allow for greater efficiency, transparency and automation of the travel booking and expense reimbursement processes, drive compliance with Drexel travel policies, and save time for end users submitting reimbursement requests. Concur also expands our capabilities in travel and expense management, with the ability to offer new solutions as needed. Procurement Services is excited to begin implementing this solution in the coming months. Stay tuned for additional updates on the travel management portion of this RFP
Office of Equality and Diversity Awarded PA Department of Education Grant
The Office of Equality and Diversity (OED) has been selected to receive a grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Education’s "It’s On Us" Program to combat campus sexual misconduct. OED's grant proposal, which was selected as part of a competitive bidding process, is centered around: 1) improving reporting of incidents of sexual misconduct at the University by raising awareness and providing educational programming to mandated reporters; 2) evaluating existing processes for responding to incidents of sexual misconduct to ensure that the University remains aligned with institutional culture and evolving best practices; and 3) obtaining conflict resolution training for OED staff who are tasked with processing reports of sexual misconduct. To learn more about the grant, read the feature in HR @ Your Service, or Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf’s press release.
New Disability Resources Website
Disability Resources has moved to its own website: drexel.edu/disability-resources. Disability Resources is now jointly managed by Student Life and Human Resources and is no longer under the Office of Equality and Diversity. The Disability Resources website contains information and resources for both students and instructors (overseen by Student Life) and employees and supervisors (overseen by Human Resources), as well as resources for campus guests and volunteers. For student inquiries, please contact disability@drexel.edu. For employee inquiries, please contact HRdisability@drexel.edu.