Organizational Updates to Support Experiential Learning and Student Success

This announcement was shared with faculty and staff on October 16, 2025.

Summary

• Experiential learning becomes a graduation requirement for all undergraduates (2027-2028 incoming class); Steinbright Career Development Center transitions to Provost's Office to anchor new Experiential Education Hub.
• Ian Sladen appointed Senior Vice Provost for Career Development and Global Engagement.
• Office of University Advising moves to Provost's Office under Michelle Spina's leadership.
• Anne Converse Willkomm appointed Assistant Vice Provost of new Curricular Support Services office.

Dear Colleagues,

I am pleased to share several organizational changes within the Provost’s Office, made in collaboration with Senior Vice President for Student Success Subir Sahu. These changes reflect our continued commitment to Drexel’s Academic Transformation and are designed to deepen the integration of academic excellence, experiential learning and student success.

Expanding Experiential Learning

The Steinbright Career Development Center has transitioned to the Provost’s Office, reinforcing the vital connection between co-op and academics and laying the foundation for a new Experiential Education Hub. This hub will improve connections across our signature co-op program, global experiences, undergraduate research, civic engagement, project-based learning and other high-impact experiential learning opportunities in and out of the classroom — creating a more cohesive and accessible experiential ecosystem for students.

As recommend by President Merlo and approved by the Faculty Senate, experiential learning will become a graduation requirement for all new undergraduate students beginning with the 2027-2028 incoming class. This important step builds on Drexel’s legacy for hands-on learning and further supports student success.

Details and timing for the Experiential Education Hub are currently being finalized and will be shared as they develop.  

Additionally, Ian Sladen will assume responsibility for Drexel Global, as Senior Vice Provost for Career Development and Global Engagement, following the return of Rogelio Miñana, PhD, to the faculty. Sladen will lead both areas, supporting enhanced connections across these activities.

I want to thank Dr. Miñana for his leadership of Drexel Global over the past four years. His work has positioned us well to advance global engagement as a critical tenet of experiential learning.

Bolstering Student Success Through Advising

The Office of Inter-College Advising, now the Office of University Advising, has also moved to the Provost’s Office, reflecting our commitment to placing the student experience at the center of our academic mission.

This transition acknowledges the increasingly complex advising needs of our students and positions Advising — as led by Michelle Spina, EdD, Executive Director of University Advising — as a strategic partner central to advancing retention and academic success initiatives across the University. By embedding this work within the Provost’s Office, we can enhance coordination across colleges, ensure greater consistency and better support students from entry to graduation.

Dr. Spina, who will report to Vice Provost Steve Weber, PhD, will continue to lead this area, advancing University-wide advising initiatives and supporting advisors in their work with students.

New Office of Curricular Support Services

Anne Converse Willkomm has been appointed Assistant Vice Provost of Curricular Support Services in the Provost's Office, reporting to Vice Provost Weber. This new role, recommended during the Academic Transformation sprint process, establishes a permanent mechanism for maintaining streamlined and coordinated curricular design as we transition to semesters and beyond.

This office will serve as the primary resource for curriculum development, providing a centralized hub for curricular processes, policies, and guidance.

The Provost's Office is working with schools, colleges and Student Success to reallocate Willkomm’s former responsibilities as Associate Dean in the Graduate College, to better support Academic Transformation's consistency goals. 

These changes are purposeful steps in Drexel’s evolution. They reflect our shared commitment to preparing students with the knowledge, experience and adaptability needed to thrive in a dynamic world. A warm welcome to Anne, Ian and Michelle as they join the Provost’s Office, and thank you for advancing student success at Drexel.

Sincerely,

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