To maintain the health and safety of everyone in our community, Drexel is continuing to provide—and in some cases require—ongoing COVID-19 testing for students on campus.

Over the past two weeks, Drexel conducted baseline COVID-19 testing intended to get a picture of COVID-19 infection among students, faculty and professional staff at the start of the fall quarter.

The following message about expanding outreach and assistance for the new academic year was sent from Drexel President John Fry: As we gear up for the start of an academic year that will see remote learning continue for Drexel undergraduates, we are expanding outreach to support and foster a greater sense of community for students, faculty and professional staff. Two town halls are planned, rent abatement is being offered to second-year students leasing from American Campus Communities, and COVID-19 testing procedures are being updated.

The following message from President John Fry about undergraduate classes being held remotely for the fall term was sent to the Drexel community on Aug. 19: I have emphasized previously that Drexel’s planning is only as good as our community’s ability to adhere to protocols set forth to keep us safe, and it is now clear that similar protocols are proving tough to follow at many universities across the nation. Based on these discouraging outcomes, I now believe that it is no longer feasible for Drexel’s undergraduates to safely return to campus this fall. There are just too many aspects of the pandemic beyond our control.

In a message to Drexel students on Aug. 14, Nina Henderson Provost Paul E. Jensen, PhD, and Senior Vice President for Student Success Subir Sahu, PhD, share pandemic-related guidelines for both in-person and remote classes this fall at Drexel.

The following message was sent to the Drexel community from President John Fry and shared further details about Drexel's planned hybrid experience and information concerning COVID-19 testing protocols.

In a message to Drexel students on Aug. 4, Senior Vice President for Student Success Subir Sahu relayed the importance of student participation in all safety measures and guidelines put forth for the return to campus this fall, including completing the COVID-19 Student Training course and Dragon Pledge which will become available 24 hours after fall registration.

In a message to Drexel students on July 31, Senior Vice President for Student Success Subir Sahu provided more information on the mandatory COVID-19 Student Training course and the online Dragon Pledge.

The following message was sent to the Drexel community from President John Fry: Over the course of the past month, Drexel's Return Oversight Committee has kept a watchful eye on the concerning trends in the coronavirus' trajectory both in our region and across the country.

In a message to Drexel students on July 28, Senior Vice President for Student Success Subir Sahu outlines student guidelines for fall, including a new information hub about the return to campus, face covering and social distancing rules, the Drexel Health Tracker app and a mandatory COVID-19 training course.

The following message was sent to the Drexel community from President John Fry: I know that many of you are concerned with how the pandemic’s recent trajectory will impact our plans for September, even questioning whether our hybrid approach of remote and face-to-face teaching, student engagement and research still makes sense. Please know that I hear your concerns.

With more than two months until the September 21 start of our fall quarter, we are deep into implementing a hybrid model for the new academic year. Our aim is to combine face-to-face teaching, student engagement and research, while responsibly reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission and infection utilizing recommended, evidence-based public health measures augmented by testing protocols and individual health monitoring through the Drexel Health Tracker app.