Strategic Initiatives

The Office of the Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer provides leadership in alignment with Drexel University's 2030 Strategic Plan and its six strategic imperatives, designed to ensure institutional excellence and a responsive, impactful and inclusive Drexel experience. All units within the Division of Finance and Administrative Services work to support the University's academic and research mission by managing the budget; improving and maintaining our facilities, technology and public safety; hiring and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce; fostering a culture of equity and integrity; and ensuring the prudent and efficient stewardship of university resources.

This page outlines key examples under each strategic imperative area of how this division is supporting the Drexel 2030 Strategic Plan.

Promote, support, and sustain a living, learning, and working environment and culture in which everyone can leverage their uniqueness to foster innovation because they feel a sense of belonging.
Continue the University's commitment to student financial aid to increase the accessibility and affordability of a Drexel education to students from historically underrepresented communities.
Support faculty and professional staff equity and diversity in recruitment, retention and advancement; nurture career development by focusing on leadership, retention, team building and community workforce development.
Ensure the implementation of a diverse and inclusive policy compliance process that includes an equity lens review of Official University Policies through formation of a new Policy Council that includes the voices faculty, professional staff and student voices, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color.
Uphold a robust Supplier Inclusion program that engages with small, local and diverse businesses to facilitate opportunities within Drexel, as well as relationships and opportunities with other anchor institutions, and advance the goal of increasing spend with diverse suppliers under the auspices of the Socially Responsible Purchasing initiative.

Continue the renewal and improvement of academic, professional and clinical facilities through the evolution and implementation of the campus master plan.
Enhance the capabilities of Drexel's research enterprise by modernizing infrastructure and enhancing capabilities in the High-Performance Computer datacenter.
Build on our deep commitment to civic engagement through programs at the Powel/Science Leadership Academy Middle School, Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services Clinic, and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children, by aligning research and education with our ongoing dedicated commitment to community service.

Continue to renew and improve existing housing facilities through modernization initiatives, including the renovation and expansion of Kelly Hall.
Leverage third-party service partnerships to improve the campus experience and increase revenue generation.
Standardize classroom technology across all Drexel colleges and schools and implement additional capabilities for hybrid and HyFlex learning environments.
Continually research and implement new community-oriented policing and community engagement activities, with a focus on the needs of the community on all campuses.
Develop guidelines, training and communication tools to ensure students are educated, advised and informed about compliance and privacy processes, and have access to participate in the review of University policies and procedures.

Further develop Schuylkill Yards project to create new opportunities to partner with private industry as the Philadelphia region rises in research and development across a wide range of industries, most notably cell and gene therapy.
Leverage third-party service partnerships to recruit and hire locally and regionally for on-campus opportunities. Shift the University business practices to focus on the support of small, local, and minority businesses.
Through the master plan, improve the public realm and design streetscapes that promote urban connection.
Conduct critical reviews and updates for inter-agency response plans, share information, and conduct inter-agency training and drills to test public safety responses and outcomes.

Continue investment in specialized software and artificial intelligence to improve efficiencies and create new career paths for our workforce.
Continue to develop information security capability and increase our cybersecurity maturity level.
Determine new initiatives and programs in security technology, as well as types and levels of service to meet the evolving public safety needs of the campus community.

Continue to improve fiscal transparency and financial literacy through the full implementation of the Responsibility Center Management (RCM) model.
Develop and communicate annual expense management guidelines and strategies for unrestricted funds to the entire Drexel community. Develop robust expense management reports that help departments operate within the fiscal year targets.
Uphold prudent management by the University's Investment Committee and strong leadership within the Investment Office enabling the endowment portfolio to support University operations and initiatives.
Ensure space planning is academically driven to create bold new teaching, research, professional, clinical and creative work spaces.
Implement and update needed policies and procedures to fill identified gaps, and communicate them more effectively to the University community.
Identify opportunities to leverage the housing portfolio to support the University's recruitment and retention goals while maximizing the capacity to improve revenue generation.
Work with key suppliers to implement programs that will enhance the student experience, create new and sustainable revenue streams, and ensure that Drexel is on the leading edge of program delivery.
Attract, develop and retain a high-performing, inclusive and diverse workforce and foster a healthy and productive work environment.
Support a culture of employee development, engagement, inclusion and well-being by: designing and executing recruitment and retention strategies; investing in employee development and well-being; driving HR excellence and innovation through continuous improvement; and enhancing the employee experience.
Continue to enhance ERP and enterprise system capabilities to add new functionality to support the University's mission.
Develop a comprehensive, multi-year operations and staffing plan for Public Safety that encompasses workloads, is responsive to current social and crime trends, and aligns with the Strategic Plan.