Drexel University

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Drexel University
Motto Science, Industry, Art
Established 1891
Type Private
Endowment $500 million
President Constantine Papadakis
Staff 1,308
Undergraduates 11,613
Postgraduates 5,387
Location Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Campus Urban
Athletics 16 varsity teams,
20 sports clubs
Colors Blue and Gold
Mascot Dragon, "Mario the Magnificent"
Website http://www.drexel.edu
Portal:Philadelphia
 Philadelphia Portal

Drexel University is an institution of higher learning and research located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. The current president is Constantine Papadakis.

Contents

[edit] History

Main article: History of Drexel University
A machine testing laboratory at Drexel University, circa 1904.
A machine testing laboratory at Drexel University, circa 1904.
The Main Building, dedicated in 1891.
The Main Building, dedicated in 1891.

Drexel University was founded in 1891 as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry by Philadelphia financier and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel to provide educational opportunities in the “practical arts and sciences” for women and men of all backgrounds. Drexel became the Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936, and in 1970 Drexel Institute of Technology gained university status, becoming Drexel University. On July 1, 2002, Drexel was officially united with the former MCP Hahnemann University, creating the Drexel University College of Medicine; and in the fall of 2006, Drexel established its College of Law.

[edit] Academics

Mario the Magnificent, mascot of Drexel
Mario the Magnificent, mascot of Drexel

In the 2006 edition of U.S. News & World Report, Drexel University is ranked the #109 university in the National Universities Doctoral category and the LeBow College of Business is ranked #99.[1] In 2007, Business Week ranked the undergraduate business program #58 in the country.[2]

[edit] tDEC

Drexel University has developed a reputation of being a superior engineering school through the Drexel Engineering Curriculum (tDEC). Formerly named the E4 program (Enhanced Educational Experience for Engineers), tDEC curriculum is composed of two full years of rigorous core engineering courses which encompass the freshman and sophomore years of the engineering student.

tDEC was originally designed to increase retention rates and promote interest in engineering. However, since its inception, tDEC become known for the exact opposite of its originally intended goal. The program became the governing cause of dropouts in the engineering program with approximately 67% of students dropping out of tDEC to pursue other degrees. A distinct sense of pride is held by students who 'graduated' from the program based on successes in such a demanding curriculum.

tDEC is currently in the process of being phased out beginning with the freshman class of 2006. It is speculated that the low retention rates coupled with the rigidity of the program has lead to this phasing out of the program. Each year more than one percent of the graduating engineers in the United States get their degree from Drexel.[citation needed] The 2006 edition of U.S. News ranks the undergraduate engineering program #57 in the country and the 2007 edition of graduate schools ranks the graduate program #61.

[edit] Co-op program

Drexel University Logo
Main article: The Ultimate Internship

Branded as "the Ultimate Internship™", Drexel's longstanding cooperative-education or "co-op" program is one of the largest and oldest in the United States. Drexel has a fully internet-based job database, where students can submit resumés and request interviews with any of the hundreds of companies that offer positions. Students aslo have the option of obtaining an internship via independent search. A student graduating from Drexel's 5-year degree program typically has a total of 18 months of internship with up to three different companies. The majority of CoOps are paid, averaging $13,000 per 6-month period, however this figure changes with major. [3]

[edit] Schools

  • School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
  • School of Education
  • School of Public Health

[edit] Colleges

Drexel is composed of several colleges, including the Drexel University College of Law, which opened in the fall of 2006; the College of Information Science and Technology and the College of Arts and Sciences, two of the oldest colleges within Drexel; and the Drexel University College of Engineering, for which Drexel is perhaps best-known. The Goodwin College of Professional Studies is intended for currently employed people seeking continuing higher education; almost 90% of its students attend part time. It offers primarily night classes in areas such as construction management and culinary arts. The Bennett S. LeBow College of Business has been ranked among the top 60 in the nation for business.[2] The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design houses Architecture, Fashion Design, and Photography. The Drexel University College of Medicine is a recent addition to the university. Formerly MCP Hahnemann University, it contributes two additional campuses and a teaching medical hospital, along with the College of Nursing and Health Professions and the School of Public Health. The Pennoni Honors College recognizes and promotes excellence among Drexel students.

[edit] Most popular undergraduate majors

  • Business Administration: 2,188 enrolled
  • Mechanical Engineering: 651
  • General Information Systems: 499
  • Biology: 475
  • Nursing: 469

Source: Drexel University Factbook

[edit] Rankings

Drexel has been ranked among the "Best National Universities-Top Schools" by U.S. News & World Report in its annual "America's Best Colleges". The 2006 rankings placed Drexel 109th.[1] Drexel and Penn are the only Philadelphia colleges in this category.

Drexel frequently ranks among the top 25 schools in the nation for technology use according to The Princeton Review[4] and The Intel Corporation,[5] and was ranked first for wireless access by Yahoo!.[citation needed] The Drexel College of Medicine and College of Nursing & Health Professions also share acolades. The Physician's assistant prorgam in in the nations top 50, the CRNA program in the top 25.

Not all of its rankings are positive, however. The Princeton Review ranked Drexel 1st for "Campus Is Tiny, Unsightly, or Both," 4th for "Professors Make Themselves Scarce," 7th for "Long Lines and Red Tape," 11th for "Least Happy Students," 14th for "Professors Get Low Marks," and 17th for "Teaching Assistants Teach Too Many Upper-Level Courses".[6]

The Math Forum@Drexel has been selected as one of the most useful websites by PC Magazine[7] and Scientific American[citation needed].

The university's endowment is just under $500 million, placing it 114th among all U.S. colleges and Universities.[8]

Drexel is the 18th largest private university in the U.S., with an enrollment of 17,500 students.[citation needed]

Drexel is the third largest private engineering college in the nation.[9]

[edit] Campuses

Drexel University's campus is divided into three parts: the University City Campus, the Center City Hahnemann Campus, which is comprised mainly of Hahnemann University Hospital, and the Queen Lane College of Medicine Campus. The latter two are recent acquisitions by the university.

[edit] University City Campus

Main article: Drexel University Main Campus

The University City campus of Drexel University is located just west of the Schuylkill River and is Drexel's largest and oldest campus. It is the center of its administrative offices, as well as the main academic center for students.

[edit] Queen Lane Campus

The Queen Lane campus was purchased in 2003 by Drexel University from MCP Hahnemann University. It is located in East Falls, which is in the Northwest part of Philadelphia and is primarily inhabited by first- and second-year medical students. A free shuttle is available connecting it to the center city Hahneman and University City campuses.[10]

[edit] Center City Hahnemann Campus

The Center City Campus is in the middle of Philadelphia, straddling the Vine Street Expressway and centered around Hahnemann University Hospital. It is a part of the university's recent expansion into the medical field.

[edit] Student life

[edit] Activities

The university has a large variety of students organizations, including charity, fraternities and sororities, political, and academic groups.

[edit] Student Government

The Undergraduate Student Government Association of Drexel University works with administrators to solve student problems and tries to promote communication between the students and the administration.

[edit] Campus Activities Board

The Campus Activities Board, or CAB for short, is in charge of organizing activities such as movies, trips to special events, and other on-campus entertainment such as the fall comedy show. CAB is funded through a student activities fee collected from each student.

[edit] WKDU

Main article: WKDU

WKDU is Drexel's student-run FM radio station, with membership open to all undergraduate students. Its status as an 800-watt non-commercial station in a major market city has given it a wider audience and a higher profile than many other college radio stations.

[edit] Residence halls

Drexel requires all non-commuting freshmen to live in one of the seven residence halls. Kelly Hall, Myers Hall, Towers Hall, and Calhoun are traditional dormitories, while North Hall, East Hall, the new Race Street Dormitory, and Van Rensselaer are arranged into suites of four to six residents. Portions of the new Race Street Dormitory is currently reserved for students of the Pennoni Honors College. All dormitories except East Hall are located on the north side of campus, north of Arch Street, in the Powelton Village area.

For upperclassmen, East Hall, North Hall, and floors two through six of University Crossings are the only on-campus housing available. In recent years, the expanding freshman class has pushed most upperclass students out of on-campus housing. Most students find apartments within Powelton Village. Academic Properties Inc., a subsidiary of Drexel, offers apartments, and there are also non-Drexel-owned apartments in the upper floors of the University Crossings building, which was previously owned by Conrail and used as an office building.

[edit] Greek life

Twelve percent of Drexel's undergraduate population is a member of a social Greek organization. There are currently nine Interfraternity Council (IFC) chapters, five National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) chapters and eight Bicultural Inter-Greek Council (BIG-C) chapters. Each year, the dean of students awards the Dean's Cup, which goes to the chapter with the highest overall points in various categories ranging from events and organization to community service and philanthropy.

Each year, all of the social Greek organizations at Drexel compete in Greek Week, a week long competition with events such as an obstacle course, talent show, step show, with the culminating event being the tug of war.

Greek life at Drexel University has shrunken recently with the expulsion of several fraternities for various reasons including hazing and drug violations. The latest fraternity shut-down was that of Lambda Chi Alpha on June 6, 2006. Several illegal substances were found in a student's room in Kelly Hall and traced back to Lambda Chi. Drexel has a Zero Tolerance Policy with illegal drugs, and a three-strike policy for alcohol. However, recently shut down fraternity Alpha Pi Lambda has made a return to the University.

A list of Drexel fraternities and sororities rankings, and Dean's cup winners can be found here.

[edit] List of Fraternities at Drexel

[edit] List of Sororities at Drexel

[edit] Publications

Main article: Drexel University Publications

Drexel has a number of publications to its name by both the student body and the university. The Triangle has been the university's newspaper for over 80 years. Other publications include the campus yearbook, the Lexerd; Maya, the undergraduate student literary and artistic magazine; and Dragonfire, the digital magazine.

[edit] Sports

Main article: Drexel Dragons

The school's sports teams, known as the Drexel Dragons, participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and the Colonial Athletic Association.

[edit] Mascot

School mascot is "Mario" - the Drexel Dragon.

[edit] Student lore and traditions

The "New" Drexel Shaft
The "New" Drexel Shaft

Drexel students often speak with bitterness about the perceived excess of administrative red tape when trying to deal with the University and its various departments. When students think they are being mistreated by the University, they often refer to it as getting the Drexel Shaft. The Drexel Shaft is also a disused smokestack structure located just off campus which used to be part of a steam power plant. According to university legend, the structure grows one more inch every time a student is "shafted".

The reference to the smokestack as The Drexel Shaft is relatively new, coming sometime after 1983. Originally the "Flame of Knowledge", located in the fountain which stood in the main quad, was known as The Shaft.[citation needed] That fountain has since been relocated to the lawn before North Hall.

To receive good grades on exams, a tradition is to rub the toe of the bronze "Waterboy" statue located in the Main Building atrium. Although the rest of the bronze statue has developed a dark brown patina over the years, the toe has remained highly polished and shines like new.

The Ryder Clock, positioned in the Main Building Grand Enterance is named after the 1st dean of engineering students with the phrase "Be on Time" enscribed below its face. Ryder was known to stand atop the grand staircase during his tenure, pocketwatch in hand, telling students to "be on time" for class every morning.

[edit] Trivia

  • Drexel has been ranked 1st under the category of "Campus Is Tiny, Unsightly, Or Both" in Princeton Review's 2007 edition of Best 361 College Rankings.[11] It is presently in the middle of several renovations to rectify this situation.
  • The main quad used to have a water fountain called "The Flame of Knowledge". It has been moved to the lawn of North Hall in the residential area of campus and was replaced by a different fountain called "The Fountain of Knowledge" as part of the university's campus improvement programs.
  • Drexel University is the location of ABC Family's reality show "Back on Campus."

Life-long friend of AJ Drexel, George Childs, established the first evening paper in Philadelphia, "The Public Ledger."

AJ Drexel was offered the position of Secretary of Commerce by two Presidents of the United States. He revovked both appointments however, as he desired to maintain his private lifestyle.

Anthony J. Drexel was the most influential mentour to JP Morgan.

[edit] Alumni

Main article: Drexel University alumni

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b USNews.com: America's Best Colleges 2006:National Universities: Top Schools. U.S. News (September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
  2. ^ a b Business Week Undergrad B-School Rankings. Business Week (March 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
  3. ^ Drexel Co-op Employers. Drexel University (2006). Retrieved on 2006-03-24.
  4. ^ 25 Most Connected Campuses. The Princeton Review (January 20, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-03-24.
  5. ^ Intel's 2nd Annual "Most Unwired College Campuses" Survey, (2005). Intel (November 29, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-24.
  6. ^ [http://www.princetonreview.com/college/research/profiles/rankings.asp?listing=1023121&LTID=1 Drexel University's Best 361 College Rankings] (November 18, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-11-18.
  7. ^ Top 101 Most Incredibly Useful Sites. PC Magazine (October 14, 2003). Retrieved on 2006-06-24.
  8. ^ Endowment funds of the 120 colleges and universities with the largest amounts, by rank order: 2003 and 2004. National Center for Education Statistics (June 30, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
  9. ^ Message From the Dean.. Drexel University (March 3, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-3.
  10. ^ Queen Lane finishes first year as part of U.. The Triangle (July 23, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-05-20.
  11. ^ Best 361 College Rankings: Quality of Life. The Princeton Review (free registration required) (2007). Retrieved on 2006-08-22.

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] Drexel

[edit] Athletics

[edit] Organizations

[edit] Residential Living

Academics

Main Article: Drexel University
Current President: Constantine Papadakis
Colleges and Institutes: Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design • Bennett S. LeBow College of Business • College of Arts and Sciences • College of Engineering • College of Information Science and Technology • College of Law • College of Medicine • College of Nursing and Health Professions • Goodwin College of Professional Studies • Pennoni Honors College
Programs: The Ultimate Internship

Athletics

CAA • Drexel Dragons • Daskalakis Athletic Center

Campus

University City campus • Queen Lane campus • Center City Hahnemann campus
Images

History

History of Drexel University • Anthony J. Drexel • Alumni

Student life

Performing Arts • Publications • The Triangle • WKDU • MAD Dragon UNLTD


Colonial Athletic Association
Delaware • Drexel • George Mason • Georgia State • Hofstra • James Madison • Northeastern • Old Dominion • Towson • UNC–Wilmington • Virginia Commonwealth • William & Mary
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Arcadia University • Art Institute of Philadelphia • Bryn Mawr College • Cabrini College • Chestnut Hill College • Cheyney University • Curtis Institute of Music • Delaware Valley College • Drexel University • Eastern University • Gratz College • Gwynedd-Mercy College • Haverford College • Holy Family University • Immaculata University • La Salle University • Lincoln University • Manor College • Moore College of Art and Design • Neumann College • Peirce College • Penn State Abington • Penn State Delaware County • Penn State Great Valley • Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts • Pennsylvania College of Optometry • Philadelphia Biblical University • Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine • Philadelphia University • Reconstructionist Rabbinical College • The Restaurant School • Rosemont College • Saint Joseph's University • Swarthmore College • Temple University • Thomas Jefferson University • Tyler School of Art • University of the Arts • University of the Sciences in Philadelphia • University of Pennsylvania • Ursinus College • Valley Forge Christian College • Villanova University • West Chester University • Westminster Theological Seminary • Widener University
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