Embracing the Future

This message was sent to faculty and staff by Provost Jensen and Executive Vice President Bowman on July 11, 2024. 

Dear Colleagues,

Last week marked the official merger of Drexel University and Salus University, providing the opportunity to warmly welcome Salus students, faculty and professional staff into the Drexel family.

The merger brings together the strengths of both institutions in graduate health sciences, significantly enhancing our national leadership in preparing future interprofessional health practitioners. As we move forward, exciting opportunities lie ahead. Our combined expertise will drive innovation, research, and collaboration across academic disciplines while enriching pathways for student success. Together, we have an opportunity to shape the future of healthcare education and practice. We extend our gratitude to Drexel President John Fry and Salus President Michael Mittelman for their tireless efforts in integrating our institutions.

A Time of Transition

At the same time that our two institutions formally came together, we also received the news that President Fry will be leaving Drexel to join Temple University. As Board Chair Rich Greenawalt said, uncertainty and concern naturally accompany any transition. But change also brings opportunity, and Drexel at its core is an institution that thrives on change.

Talk to almost any student, faculty or professional staff member and you will hear the same sentiment: We are a community that embraces bold ideas and rolls up our sleeves to see them through. 

Throughout our history, and certainly under President Fry’s leadership over the past 14 years, we have collectively worked to position this University as a hub of academic and research innovation and a highly sought-after partner to organizations and communities. In the last year and a half, through a partnership of Faculty Senate and the Provost’s Office, a University Advisory Committee (UAC) comprising faculty, professional staff and administrators across Drexel articulated a bold new vision for academic transformation.

We remain committed to that vision. If anything, the enrollment challenges presented by the government’s delay in rolling out FASFA have only reinforced that commitment. We are currently working with Faculty Senate, academic and administrative leaders on the path forward for academic transformation and will share updates on that process in the next couple weeks.

Moving Forward Together

We also anticipate an update from our Board of Trustees on transitional leadership for the University as early as next week. As President Fry and Board Chair Greenawalt have said, Drexel has been and will continue to be successful because of its community. We head into this next chapter with gratitude for President Fry’s leadership, with the full support of our Board of Trustees, and with a commitment to maintaining a strong partnership and clear communication among administrative and academic leaders, Faculty Senate, and our faculty, professional staff and students.

Let us embrace this exciting journey together, a community united by our mission to improve the lives of students and communities near and far. The innovative, entrepreneurial nature that has always characterized Drexel will continue to drive us forward into this new future.

Sincerely,

Paul E. Jensen, PhD
Executive Vice President
Nina Henderson Provost
University Professor

Helen Y. Bowman
Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer