Student Empowerment

As a result of the work of the Retention and Student Success initiative team, Drexel established the Academic Resource Center, also known as the ARC, which serves as an integrated hub of on-campus academic support services focusing on providing tutoring, academic coaching, workshops, specialized courses, and more — effectively streamlining the student experience and making it easier to access the tools that fit individualized needs. The ARC also provides population-specific support for traditionally underrepresented minority students, including the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) and Center for Inclusive Education and Scholarship (CIES), and neurodivergent students through the Center for Autism and Neurodiversity (CAN).

• In 2023-2024, the ARC has more than 84K visitors to Korman Center, 11K referrals made to ARC services with subsequent personalized outreach done by centers, and 24K visits or appointments both in person and remote.

Drexel University is empowering students to be more purpose-driven through its nationally recognized multi-pronged commitment to civic engagement and related initiatives. Drexel is one of six private universities with both Carnegie R1 & Community Engagement classifications and is a 2023-2024 Voter Friendly Campus.

• Writers Room is Drexel’s university-community literary arts program for creative placemaking, comprised of a diverse, intergenerational collective of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and neighborhood residents.
• The Lindy Center is the Drexel’s student hub for civic engagement. The center supports community-engaged learning through courses, civic leadership programs, and hundreds of volunteer and service opportunities for Drexel students. Activities encompass civic engagement at the local, national, and global levels while enriching the scholarship and character of Drexel through enhanced experiential education.
• CIVC 101: Introduction to Civic Engagement, is a course taken by every Drexel first-year student.
• Certificate in Civic Engagement Leadership: Drexel is one of the just a few universities in the nation to offer an academic certificate for civic engagement, preparing students to be active, leading participants on issues of public concern in their communities.
• Student Leadership Opportunities: An intensive path of experiential learning and development through service and community engagement, well beyond one-time volunteer experiences, and requiring a higher level of commitment and leadership.
• Lindy Scholars: Drexel student organizations offering after-school STEM/STEAM enrichment and mentoring activities for local middle schools in West Philadelphia.

• Global Classrooms: Global Classrooms are courses that engage Drexel students with students at one of our partner universities abroad through a range of interactive technologies. Faculty members from any discipline who are interested in incorporating a global dimension into their scheduled class and link it to a class of students at an international partner institution are eligible to participate.
• Through broad consultation, Drexel Global will select a handful of existing strategic partners in key locations all over the world to deepen and scale up our collaboration, including research, education abroad, dual-admission degrees, recruitment, co-op, civic engagement, and alumni and industry relations. Through these "Hubs Abroad," Drexel will, over time, significantly expand our global imprint without the expensive and risky proposition of building campuses away.
• Students have access to a variety of opportunities to take courses in a different country — from short-term Intensive Courses Abroad to six-month programs and fully funded opportunities like the Dornsife Global Development Scholars program.
• Drexel Global has added a new student exchange program with the University of West Indies, with campuses around the Caribbean. This is Drexel’s first student exchange agreement in the Caribbean as well as its first with a predominantly Black institution.

Read about Calvin Keeys, environmental science '25, who gained international perspective as a Gilman Scholar studying abroad in Ecuador.

• The Office of Alumni Relations launched Dragon Network, an online professional development community for Drexel's 175,000 alumni and current students providing meaningful opportunities for mentorship, professional development, career support and connection. In 2024, the network saw its biggest year of growth since it launched in 2020 with almost 2,700 users joining the platform for a total of 12,650 alumni, students, and faculty and professional staff members. Members exchanged over 8,000 messages between each other quadrupling engagement from 2023.
• Alumni Relations connects the Drexel community through volunteer opportunities in alignment with Drexel's commitment to civic engagement, including the Alumni Turkey Project, Drexel's longest-running alumni tradition, which helps provide more than 2,000 meals to those facing hunger and food insecurity throughout Greater Philadelphia.
• Drexel University provides lifelong career counselor and services to alumni through its Steinbright Career Development Center and access to resources within the Drexel Libraries empowering students and alumni to pursue their academic, personal and professional goals both during and well beyond their time at Drexel.

• Drexel University has expanded its identity-based support networks and inclusive communities to make students feel welcome, supported and empowered to take hold of their journey and learn from fellow members of the Dragon community by connecting through understanding.
• Drexel continues to develop annual programs and traditions which empower students to express themselves freely, including the Annual Drag Show and The Ball, a night celebrating LGBTQIA+ graduates.
• Drexel's student organizations and Fraternity and Sorority Life empower students to take on leadership roles and serve the community by identifying and addressing issues of public concern through a balance of charitable fundraising, hands-on service, and responsible citizenship to benefit the University and surrounding or global community.
• Drexel University Athletics is committed to transformational growth of its student athletes through the Dragon Leadership Academy, an initiative that provides student athletes with the knowledge and skills to lead their teammates and peers, both on and off the field, in the most effective way possible.
• Drexel's location in Philadelphia offers unlimited opportunities to explore the city's history, art, and culture, including through Drexel's own collections, galleries, and performances. Drexel encourages students to create their own art, actively seek inspiration from those around them, and embrace the spirit of imagination that permeates throughout Philly and across our campus.