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Academic Transformation

The world today demands more from higher education. With an experiential academic model that meets this world demand, Drexel University is undergoing an academic transformation that will allow us to align our distinguishing strengths, academic structure and strategies with our mission to advance societal solutions and an experiential education of the highest quality.
Embracing Academic Transformation
Drexel University is taking strategic steps to strengthen and define the University’s future, enabling us to deliver on our mission of providing a high-quality experiential education and advancing research-based solutions for communities and organizations.

Since the start of Drexel’s strategic planning, teams of faculty, professional staff and administrators have come together to design and advance a plan that holistically addresses shifts in higher education and across industries.  As part of this process, the University Advisory Committee on Academic Structure (UACAS) was charged in November 2022 with reviewing the organization of our academic units to ensure our structure is aligned to best meet the institution’s strategic priorities.

Based on the input of hundreds of stakeholders, internal and external data, survey responses, historical strategic planning and more, the UACAS recommendations were shared with Drexel faculty and professional staff in June 2023 and assessed for feasibility by teams of working groups (view a timeline of the UACAS process). This process has yielded a compelling, community-developed vision and vetted roadmap for becoming the University students and society need.

In September 2024, Provost Paul Jensen announced plans for the University to adopt the UACAS recommendations. This plan entails:

  • Restructuring our schools and colleges into integrated, forward-looking pillars of expertise;
  • Transitioning to a semester calendar for all programs to support enhanced recruitment, retention and partnership;
  • Defining and implementing core competencies, supporting pedagogical innovation and redesigning our curriculum to continually improve the quality of our programs and support student learning and outcomes;
  • And working to develop greater consistency in practices and policies across academic units to support flexibility and collaboration. 

Why Is Drexel Undergoing Academic Transformation?

The University has evolved significantly over the past quarter century to become a comprehensive research institution. To lead into the future, Drexel must become more nimble, innovative and “comprehensively integrated.” Streamlining our academic structure will allow us to align our academic, financial and recruitment strategies to improve the value of a Drexel education and support numerous Drexel 2030 imperatives and initiatives, in particular: building a culture of equity (via more consistent structures and services); fostering transdisciplinary education, research and scholarship; optimizing student growth, experience and opportunity; enhancing and coordinating internal capabilities; and establishing fiscal and operational strength.

Learn More About Drexel’s Academic Transformation

Methods of communication and engagement are currently under development to ensure that members of the Drexel community have the information and support needed to participate in the work ahead, and the opportunity to share insights and feedback. In the meantime, visit the following subpages for more information:

Messages from Leadership

Visit the links below to read messages from the Offices of the President and Provost related to the University’s academic structure work.