We believe art, design, storytelling, critical thinking, and enterprise are fundamental to our work and to our society. We prize intellectual curiosity, self-expression, and innovation. We prize academic rigor and experiential learning.

We create diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist communities where our internal and external stakeholders can show up as their full selves and thrive. We value respect and integrity in all of our interactions, encouraging every individual to use their voice toward creative problem solving and positive change.

We celebrate individual ideas and collective strength across disciplines and sectors. We believe in equitable access to resources, tools, and spaces. We actively and intentionally engage in partnerships with our neighbors locally and our industry colleagues globally.

We value responsible and transparent management and communications, technological advancement, and lifelong learning.

We make space for experimentation, risk taking, learning from failure, and working at the edges of media, arts, and design.

Enhance the Westphal student experience to create a strong sense of belonging by ensuring all students have the resources and educational experiences they need to launch their careers and engage in their communities.

Ensure that all Westphal faculty are supported, rewarded, and provided with the resources, professional development, and opportunities for continued growth and success.

Ensure that all Westphal staff can excel in their roles through the intentional and equitable creation of opportunities for collaboration, efficiency, and professional growth.

Enrich Westphal curricula through collaborative approaches, continuous enhancement, and new learning methods that provide our students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to succeed in a rapidly changing world.

Expand scope, reach, and impact of Westphal faculty's research, scholarship, and creative work by leveraging our specialized knowledge and expertise, fostering transdisciplinary collaborations, and developing a robust culture of inquiry.

Elevate Westphal's external presence and internal communications through a visual and narrative identity that articulates its unique value, strengthens community and industry relations, and reflects our values.

Establish a cohesive and expanded physical and technological presence for Westphal that provides equitable and efficient access to the facilities, tools, and resources necessary to innovate, collaborate, and grow.

The Faculty Caucus and its standing committees will play an important role in leading the implementation of strategies that relate to curricula, scholastic standards, and faculty affairs.

Our Academic Council comprises the senior faculty and staff leadership within the college. Their role in our plan’s implementation will be to actively participate in and lead the implementation of specific strategies that require coordination among all Westphal departments.

Our Staff Advisory Council, comprised of professional staff who advise the college on ways to improve how our staff support and manage our operations, will implement strategies that seek to improve our efficiency, effectiveness, and operations.

The Westphal Research Council provides support and leadership to all Westphal faculty engaged in their own research, scholarship, and creative work (RSC), as well as promoting collaborative, interdisciplinary research within the University and with external partners, building a Westphal culture that embraces RSC.

The members of the Westphal Dean’s Council serve as outside advisors to the Dean and act as advocates and ambassadors on behalf of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design. Members of the Dean’s Council, many of whom are Westphal or Drexel alumni, are senior leaders in a variety of creative industries.

The members of the Student Council advise the Dean and Westphal leadership on how to create the best student experience, serve as liaisons to our student body, and ultimately, use their voice to shape the future of the college.

Following the lead of Drexel University’s Anti-Racism Task Force, Westphal’s Strategic Planning Task Force unanimously decided that issues surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-racism are critical to address within the larger plan for Westphal’s future and its surrounding communities. The DEI Council would determine the implementation process for and guide the implementation of Westphal's DEI and Anti-Racism strategies.

This new initiative provides opportunities for faculty to enhance their careers through partnership with the Dean’s Office to address relevant topics that have emerged from our strategic planning process. Dean’s Fellows will be given the time and resources to lead the implementation of specific strategies aligned with their expertise.

We will also leverage ad-hoc working groups to create new teams of faculty and staff who are committed to addressing specific strategies from our plan. These existing and proposed groups include, among others: Graduate Programs and Lifelong Learning, Facilities and Information Technology, Incentivizing interdisciplinary research and teaching, Mobilizing Creativity and Design at Drexel, and Anti-Racism and DEI initiatives.