Center for Inclusive Education and Scholarship
Our mission is to empower a diverse community of scholars to achieve academic excellence, engage civically, build social and career capital, and grow as global thought leaders.
CIES also serves as a student advocate and catalyst for inclusive learning communities—spaces free from bias and discrimination—where every student can thrive and feel a strong sense of belonging at Drexel.
Guiding Principles
- Academic excellence: Pursuing progress over perfection by asking for help, utilizing available services, and working together as a community to share knowledge and resources in order to persist to graduation and achieve academic goals. Understanding that mastery takes time and practice, it involves self-control and choosing progress over distractions and immediate gratification.
- Growth mindset: Having a strong why behind everything you do, and then developing skills and building resiliency when facing challenges and setbacks, to make it easier to stick with it for the long haul.
- Self-advocacy: Validating student experiences and concerns and teaching them how to take effective action to address their concerns and needs.
- Cultural Capital: Building connections, valuing mentorship, and understanding the importance of what you know, who you know, and who knows you.
- Community Service: Exploring privilege and understanding one’s role within community, to give back and positively contribute to social change.
Pillars
- Holistic Student Support
- Peer Mentorship
- Student Advocacy
- Fostering a Culture of Belonging
Programs
- ACT 101: Pennsylvania Higher Education Opportunity Program
- Ascent: Peer Mentor Program
- DACA, Dreamers, and Undocumented Student Services
- Dragons Prep
- Fostering Independence Program: Pennsylvania Higher Education FosterEd Program
- Global Scholars
- Liberty Scholars
How to Get Involved with us
We believe these things are true in the Center for Inclusive Education and Scholarship: the power of community; the wisdom of the African proverb, “It takes a village”; the benefits of mentoring; and that knowledge is power.
For these reasons, we invite faculty and staff to join us at one of our signature events, the Quarterly Saturday Summit, to build community and share resources and information on topics including (but not limited to) academic skills, career development, financial literacy, holistic well-being, and building career capital.
For information on proposal guidelines and to submit a proposal, please select the button below.
