Congratulations — we’ve finished the first month into a new academic year and the return to on-campus operations.
Here’s what was heard around campus:
Bring Your Green Thumb to the Stratton Greenhouse Grand Opening Tomorrow
In case you missed it, last spring, Drexel updated the third floor of Stratton Hall for botanical use by the Drexel community, and any students or employees can request to use this space and onsite resources to grow plants. The official grand opening of the Stratton Greenhouse, hosted by Drexel EcoReps, is Oct. 1, from 6–7 p.m. To access the event, please meet the hosts at the greenhouse, and they will let you in.
New Website for the Anti-Racism Task Force Final Report
The Anti-Racism Task Force’s Final Report, released as a PDF on Sept. 13, is now live on its own webpage at drexel.edu/anti-racism. Toward an Anti-Racist Drexel: The Anti-Racism Task Force’s Final Report and the University’s Commitments to Change is meant to be a living document where we will track our progress toward the goals laid out in the report. For now, the webpage makes it easier to browse the various sections of the report and explore the commitments via drop-down menus. A color-coding system helps to tie the commitments to the six initiatives of the Drexel 2030 Strategic Plan. And you can still find the link to the original PDF in the Quick Links menu on the right-hand sidebar of the page. Updates will be sent to the community as the page becomes populated with progress-tracking mechanisms for accountability and transparency. Please send any feedback you may have to anti-racism@drexel.edu.
Reminder: Please Update Your Race and Ethnicity Information
To provide a minimum standard for maintaining, collecting and presenting data on race and ethnicity for federal reporting purposes, Drexel University is asking that you verify or identify your race and ethnicity in DrexelOne. Please complete this step whether you have already entered your race/ethnicity information, or if you have not yet done so, as recent changes have been made to better align with Equal Employment Opportunity federal standards.
Celebrate the Start of Fall at the Gateway Garden
Fall is officially here, and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the cooler weather at the Gateway Garden (32nd and JFK Boulevard):
- The Maker’s Market at the Gateway Garden runs every Thursday from 3–6 p.m. through Oct. 28. Pennsylvania Horticultural Society presents this weekly market featuring Philly-made art, ceramics, jewelry, skin care and more.
- Meet the Makers returns to the Gateway Garden on Sept. 29, from 5–7 p.m., featuring “Autumn Apple Harvest” with Dressler Estate. Meet local brewers and taste a selection of your favorite beer and cider (must be 21+ to attend). On Sept. 29, meet Drexel alumnus Brian Dressler ’11 and Olga Dressler from Dressler Estate and enjoy some of their beautiful cider as they chat about the local orchards they work with, apple harvest and cider fermentation. Cider will be available for purchase to be enjoyed at the Garden or to be taken to go. In the case of inclement weather, the rain date will be one week following. Other upcoming Meet the Makers events include Dark Beer With Conshohocken Brewing on Oct. 6 and Saisons With Sacred Vice on Oct. 20.
Drexel Business Services sponsors food trucks for the Maker’s Market and Meet the Makers events. Visit Drexel Business Services Event page for upcoming events.
Outdoor Seating on Campus for All Your Needs
Students, faculty and professional staff looking for places to enjoy the seasonable weather can visit the Business Services website to view an interactive map and list of outdoor seating in University City, as well as Queen Lane and Center City information. There are five covered tents on the University City Campus, and seating options include a variety of tables and chairs, both shaded and non-shaded.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month With Bienvenidos
It’s National Hispanic Heritage Month! Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, champions Hispanic Americans, recognizing their contributions to the history and culture of the United States. You can browse upcoming events at Drexel and in Philadelphia in the fall 2021 newsletter of Bienvenidos, Drexel’s Hispanic/Latino Faculty & Professional Staff Association.
For example, join Bienvenidos on Oct. 6, from 11 a.m. until noon for a fun quiz (ungraded) of your Spanish language skills, and your knowledge of Hispanic and Latino culture. The online session is open to all members of the Drexel University community. ¡Adelante, compañeros! Os esperamos. Details for how to access the event can be found on the Office of Equality and Diversity Calendar.
Register to Vote — Election Day Is Nov. 2
Election Day is Nov. 2 — and yes, there are elections this year. In odd-numbered years, these November elections are also called municipal elections in Pennsylvania because there are no federal or state offices on the ballot. This week had National Voter Registration Day, and it’s a great time to make sure you are registered to vote and your registration is up to date. In Pennsylvania, Oct. 18 is the last day to register to vote. You can check your registration status, register to vote or download a registration form, and find information about your polling place and mail-in voting at vote.pa.gov, or call the Pennsylvania Department of State's toll-free hotline at 1.877.VOTESPA (877.868.3772).
Drexel was recently named one of “America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting” by Washington Monthly magazine. The University has taken several steps to ensure that every qualified student, faculty and professional staff member can exercise the most fundamental right of citizenship by both registering and voting. More information can be found on the Drexel Votes webpage.
Enterprise Learning: Conflict of Interest and Commitment Course Now Available
Human Resources heard your feedback — that having all required courses due in the fall is challenging — and therefore introduced Enterprise Learning this year, an initiative that allows faculty and professional staff to complete required courses throughout the year. Along with “Drexel University Information Security Compliance” and “Defining Drexel’s Culture of Inclusion and Belonging” which were released earlier this year, the next course, “Conflict of Interest and Commitment,” is now available in your Career Pathway transcript.
All required programs must be completed no later than Nov. 1, 2021, including the annual Conflict of Interest and Commitment Disclosure, accessible via the DrexelOne Employee tab under the Compliance and Privacy Programs channel.
Drexel is also offering two optional, virtual roundtables about the University’s Culture of Compliance:
- Culture of Compliance at Drexel – It’s Okay to Ask! – 10-10:45 a.m. on Oct. 5
- Protecting Student Privacy at Drexel – 10-10:45 a.m. on Oct. 19
You can visit the Enterprise Learning website for detailed descriptions of these events. Please contact hr@drexel.edu for any questions regarding Enterprise Learning.
Performance Development for Professional Staff Is Underway
Drexel is continuing with last year's performance development process, which focuses on promoting positive, strengths-based conversations between professional staff members and managers. To guide and support professional staff members and managers through the performance development process, Drexel Human Resources has provided information and resources, including a process timeline, tools, tips, examples and FAQs on the Performance Development website. The annual performance development process began on September 22 and will conclude on Nov. 19.
Faculty should refer to the July 20 communication from Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement and Undergraduate Affairs Erin McNamara Horvat or the Office of Faculty Advancement website for more information on electronic Faculty Annual Reviews.
For questions regarding the performance development process or accessing required programs, please email hr@drexel.edu.
A New Dragon Dialogue About Understanding Substance Abuse
If you or someone you know struggles with substance abuse, or you’re looking for general information on how to support those who do, please consider attending “Dragon Dialogue: Understanding Substance Abuse/Abuse Among Working Professionals,” an online discussion on Oct. 13 from 1–2 p.m. This session will provide an overview of substance use disorder and how it relates to working professionals, discuss the differences among types of abuse, and address the relationship between mental health and substance abuse, as well as appropriate levels of care based on specific treatment needs. Eligible attendees will receive 15 wellness points toward Drexel’s Wellness Incentive Program. Please register in Career Pathway.
Public Safety Updates: Annual Security & Fire Safety Report, New Patrol Boundary Maps
Last week, Public Safety released the 2021 Annual Security & Fire Safety Report online. A copy of the annual report is available electronically as a PDF file on the Department of Public Safety website at drexel.edu/cleryreport, or you may request a printed copy by calling the Department of Public Safety at 215.895.1550. You can review more background on the report in this Public Safety email announcement.
Also new on the Public Safety website are revamped and updated patrol boundary maps for all three Drexel campuses, available as images and PDFs on the Policing and Security overview page. Special thanks to Public Safety’s summer co-op, Aden Betman, ’21, for creating these maps for the team!
And in case you missed it: Check out the September edition of Public Safety & U for back-to-campus safety tips, new employee bios, and more.
Learn All About Situational Preparedness With Public Safety
Public Safety is offering its virtual, interactive presentation on situational preparedness, “Your Safety Is Our Goal,” once a month through December, both at noon and 6 p.m. to accommodate different schedules. To sign up for one of these sessions, please fill out this Qualtrics form and select your preferred date.
At “Your Safety Is Our Goal,” Drexel’s Community Relations Officers will teach you how to be aware of your surroundings, recognize potentially dangerous situations, and keep yourself safe. These tips will encourage you to think and act proactively — to be prepared, not scared.
If you have a community or group you would like Public Safety to present to, or would like to propose an alternate presentation time, please contact Officer Tom Cirone at tjc94@drexel.edu or Officer Kim McClay at kam556@drexel.edu to schedule based on your availability.
Reminder From General Accounting
Departments that 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.
Journal Workflow 3.0 Has Launched
The release of Journal Workflow 3.0 allows the Drexel community to perform in-year budget transfers as well as other related new capabilities. With the introduction of these new workflow capabilities, it is the goal of both the Office of Planning and Budget and Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) to cease acceptance of paper submissions of budget transfers by Dec. 31. For more information, including a full list of new capabilities and dates and times for Journal Workflow 3.0 training sessions, please review the Sept. 20 announcement on the Office of the Comptroller website.