Drexel University
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| Drexel University | |
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| Motto: | Science, Industry, Art |
| Established: | 1891 |
| Type: | Private |
| Endowment: | $640 million |
| President: | Constantine Papadakis |
| Provost: | Stephen Director |
| Staff: | 1,404 |
| Students: | 20,821 |
| Undergraduates: | 13,366 |
| Postgraduates: | 6,102 |
| Location: | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Campus: | Urban |
| Colors: | Blue and gold |
| Mascot: | Dragon, "Mario the Magnificent" |
| Athletics: | 16 varsity teams, 20 sports clubs |
| Affiliations: | MAISA |
| Website: | www.drexel.edu |
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Drexel University is a private coeducational university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. The current president is Constantine Papadakis.
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[edit] History
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 School of Law.
[edit] Academics
[edit] tDEC
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.
The engineering curriculum used by the school was originally called E4 (Enhanced Educational Experience for Engineers) which was established in 1986[1] and funded in part by the Engineering Directorate of the National Science Foundation.[2] In 1988 the program evolved into tDEC (the Drexel Engineering Curriculum)[2] which is composed of two full years of rigorous core engineering courses which encompass the freshman and sophomore years of the engineering student. Originally designed to increase retention rates and promote interest in engineering tDEC has since its inception, become known for the exact opposite of its originally intended goal.[who?] 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.[citation needed]
tDEC is in the process of being reorganized beginning with the freshman class of 2006. This is due to the programs inflexibility and because the program is not designed to have the increase in class size that Drexel has experienced since the programs inception.[1]
[edit] Co-op program
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.[citation needed] Drexel has a fully internet-based job database, where students can submit résumés and request interviews with any of the hundreds of companies that offer positions. Students also 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 Co-ops are paid, averaging $13,000 per 6-month period, however this figure changes with major.[3]
[edit] Schools
Drexel has three schools the newest of which was created in 2006. Originally added to Drexel University as the Drexel University College of Law, the Earle Mack School of Law was renamed on May 1, 2008 in honor of Drexel alumnus Earle I. Mack. In addition to the School of Law Drexel has schools in Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Education, and Public Health.
[edit] Colleges
Drexel is composed of nine colleges, including 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 and founded by Dr. Vinay Gadia. The Goodwin College of Professional Studies offers working professionals and recent high school and college graduates practical educational programs with flexible scheduling, hands-on experiences, and career preparation. Full-time programs programs include (but are not limited to) Sport Management, Culinary Arts, and Applied Engineering Technology, while part-time programs include Communications & Applied Technology and Computing & Security Technology. The Bennett S. LeBow College of Business has been ranked among the top 60 in the nation for business.[4] The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design houses Interior Design, Digital Media, Architecture, Fashion Design, Photography, Visual Studies, Performing Arts, Music Industry, Entertainment & Arts Management, Film & Video, and Dance. 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
Drexel University is also known for creating the world's first Engineering Degree in Appropriate Technology.[5]
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 2008 rankings placed Drexel 108th,[6] whereas 2006 rankings had the school at 109th.[7] Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania are the only Philadelphia colleges in this category. 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. The publication also ranked Drexel's College of Engineering's undergraduate program 57th among engineering schools that award doctoral degrees.[7] In 2007, Business Week ranked the undergraduate business program among the top 30 private institutions in the country.[4] The Department of Materials Science and Engineering was ranked 10th in the US in faculty scholarly productivity in 2006.[8]
Drexel frequently ranks among the top 25 schools in the nation for technology use according to The Princeton Review[9] and The Intel Corporation,[10] and was ranked first for wireless access by Yahoo!.[11] The Drexel College of Medicine and College of Nursing & Health Professions also share accolades. The Physician's assistant program is in the nation's top 50, the CRNA program in the top 25.
Not all of its rankings are positive, however. The Princeton Review ranked Drexel 2nd for "Campus Is Tiny, Unsightly, or Both," 12th for "Professors Make Themselves Scarce," 7th for "Long Lines and Red Tape," 14th for "Least Happy Students," and 15th for "Professors Get Low Marks,".[12]
The Math Forum@Drexel has been selected as one of the most useful websites by PC Magazine[13] and Scientific American.[14]
The university's endowment has grown to $640 million[15] and is the 16th largest private university in the U.S., with an enrollment of over 20,000 students.[15]
Drexel is the third largest private engineering college in the nation.[16]
[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
The 60-acre University City Main Campus of Drexel University is located just west of the Schuylkill River in the University City district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is Drexel's largest and oldest campus and 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.[17]
[edit] Center City Hahnemann Campus
The Center City Campus is in the middle of Philadelphia, straddling the Vine Street Expressway and centered on Hahnemann University Hospital. It is a part of the university's recent expansion into the medical field.
[edit] Sacramento Area Campus
On October 29, 2007, a 40-person delegation from Drexel University completed a four-day visit to Placer County, California in preparation for a study on bringing a 6,000-student college campus to Roseville, a suburb of Sacramento. Drexel is interested in opening a four-year private university west of Roseville on a 600-acre site that would be donated by the family of Sacramento developer Angelo Tsakopoulos.[18]
The acreage would be part of an overall 1,100-acre donation by the Tsakopoulos family, William and Claudia Cummings, Wayne and Mary Prim and their partners. A housing development would be established on the other 500 acres. Residential units totaling 2,300 are being considered. The money raised through sale of the acreage to a developer or developers would be given to Drexel as an endowment for construction of the campus.
Drexel is not the first university courted for the site. The Catholic order Christian Brothers withdrew its proposal in 2005 for a four-year private college called De La Salle because it was concerned that slow county approval of the project would increase development costs.[19]
[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] Graduate Student Association
As stated on their website - "Graduate Student Association advocates the interests and addresses concerns of graduate students at Drexel; strives to enhance graduate student life at the University in all aspects, from academic to campus security; and provides a formal means of communication between graduate students and the University community."
[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] Press and Radio
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.
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; D&M Magazine, a magazine produced by Design & Merchandising students, Maya, the undergraduate student literary and artistic magazine; and The Smart Set, the digital magazine.
[edit] Housing
Drexel requires all non-commuting freshmen to live in one of the seven residence halls. Kelly Hall, Myers Hall, Towers Hall, and Calhoun Hall are traditional dormitories, while North Hall, Anthony Caneris Hall, the new Race Street Dormitory, and Van Rensselaer Hall are arranged into suites of four to six residents. Portions of the new Race Street Dormitory are currently reserved for students of the Pennoni Honors College. However, during the 2007 spring term, the Race Street Dormitory housed Kelly Hall residents, while Kelly Hall underwent renovation. All dormitories except Anthony Caneris Hall are located on the north side of campus, north of Arch Street, in the Powelton Village area.
For upperclassmen: Anthony Caneris 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 ten Interfraternity Council (IFC) chapters, five National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) chapters and eight Multi-cultural Greek Council (MGC) chapters.
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.
The week after Greek Week the Dean's Cup is presented for the previous year. The Dean's Cup is the highest award for Drexel Greeks. The winners of the Dean's Cup are determined by the highest score on the Chapter Achievement Plan (CAP) which is the annual recognition process for Drexel Greeks. The dean of students awards the Dean's Cup, which goes to the chapter with the highest overall points in eight categories: values and identity, statistics, chapter management, programming, community relations, membership development, citizenship, presentation/DVD Chapter Response.
Greek life at Drexel University has expanded recently with the reinstatement of three fraternities, Alpha Pi Lambda, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Pi Kappa Phi.
A list of Drexel fraternities and sororities rankings, and Dean's cup winners can be found here.
[edit] List of Fraternities at Drexel
- Alpha Chi Rho, Lambda Chi Phi (est. 1992)
- Alpha Epsilon Pi, Delta Rho Chapter (est. 1995)
- Alpha Pi Lambda, Local Fraternity (est. 1935)
- Kappa Alpha Psi, Delta Eta Chapter (est. 1952)
- Phi Beta Sigma, Alpha Chi Alpha (est. 1998)
- Phi Kappa Psi, PA Upsilon Chapter (est. 2002)
- Pi Kappa Alpha, Lambda Zeta Chapter (est. 2001)
- Pi Kappa Phi, (Recolonized 2007)
- Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Epsilon Chapter (est. 1971)
- Sigma Phi Epsilon, Pennsylvania Beta Beta Chapter (est. 1999)
- Tau Kappa Epsilon, Alpha Tau Chapter (est. 1919)
- Theta Chi, Beta Theta Chapter (est. 1927)
[edit] List of Sororities at Drexel
- Alpha Kappa Alpha, Gamma Epsilon Chapter (1945)
- Alpha Sigma Alpha, Nu Nu Chapter (est. 1925)
- Chi Upsilon Sigma, Omicron Chapter (est. 1997)
- Delta Phi Omega, Gamma Chapter (est. 2000)
- Delta Phi Epsilon, Delta Epsilon Chapter (est. 1942, recolonized 2003)
- Delta Zeta, Epsilon Zeta Chapter (est. 1928)
- Phi Mu, Beta Tau Chapter (est. 1954)
- Phi Sigma Sigma, Beta Rho Chapter (est. 1959)
- Sigma Lambda Upsilon
- Sigma Psi Zeta, Nu Chapter (est. 2002)
- Zeta Phi Beta, Kappa Sigma Chapter (est. 2005)
[edit] Athletics
Drexel's school mascot is a dragon known as "Mario the Magnificent," named so in honor of a former alumni and Board of Trustees member.[20] The Dragon has been the mascot of the school since around the mid 1920's; the first written reference to the Dragons occurred in 1928 when the football team was called The Dragons in The Triangle. Before becoming known as the Dragons the athletic teams had been known by such names as Blue & Gold, the Engineers, and the Drexelites.[20] The school's sports teams, now known as the Drexel Dragons, participate in the NCAA's Division I and the Colonial Athletic Association. They do not currently field a varsity football team.
[edit] Fight Song
The fight song for Drexel is the Drexel Fight Song. The lyrics are:
Fight on for Drexel,
We’ve got the stuff we need to win this game.
We’re gonna fight on for Drexel,
Take the Dragon on to fame.
March down the field, boys,
The gold and blue is on another spree.
We’re gonna fight, fight, fight, fight for Drexel Tech.
On to victory!
- Chant:
D-D-D-D
R-R-R-R
E-E-E-E
X-EL-X-EL
DREX-EL-DREX-EL
FIGHT-TEAM-FIGHT
(Repeat Song)[21]
[edit] Student lore and traditions
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.[20]
The Ryder Clock, named after the University's first Dean of Engineering Students, J. Peterson Ryder, is positioned in the Main Building grand entrance with the phrase "Be on Time" inscribed below its face. Ryder was known to stand atop the grand staircase during his tenure, pocket watch in hand, telling students to "be on time" for class every morning.[20]
[edit] In popular culture
Drexel has appeared in news and television media several times. In the 1998 film Enemy of the State Brill (played by Gene Hackman) is a Drexel alumnus.[22] In 2006 Drexel was chosen as the location for ABC Family's reality show "Back on Campus."[23] Also in that year the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Delta Zeta won ABC Daytime's Summer of Fun contest. As a result the sorority was featured in national television spots for a week and also hosted an ABC party on campus which was attended by cast members from General Hospital and All My Children.[24]
In 2007 Drexel was the host of the 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate debate in Philadelphia, televised by MSNBC.[25] In 2008 from January 10 to the 13th Drexel hosted the US Table Tennis Olympic Trials.[26][27]
[edit] Alumni
Drexel began awarding undergraduate degrees in 1915, starting with the Bachelor of Science in engineering, and in 1931 began offering graduate degrees through the School of Home Economics.[28] Since its founding in 1891 the university has had more than 100,000 alumni.[29]
In 1991, the university's centennial anniversary, Drexel created an association called the Drexel 100, for alumni who have demonstrated excellence work, philanthropy, or public service.[30] After the creation of the association 100 alumni were inducted in 1992 and since then the induction process has been on a biennial basis. In 2006 164 total alumni had been inducted into the association.[31]
The versatile curriculum at Drexel has attracted a range of students. Graduates from Drexel have earned distinction in many fields including business, computer science, humanities, NASA, politics and public service, and sports.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Silva, Daniel (February 10, 2006), CoE plans to revamp entire engineering curriculum, The Triangle, <http://media.www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2006/02/10/News/Coe-Plans.To.Revamp.Entire.Engineering.Curriculum-1608638-page2.shtml>. Retrieved on 11 December 2007
- ^ a b Warnock, Scott; Andrew J. McCann (October 2004). "Structured, Online Evaluations and the First-Year Design Process". Learning Technology 6 (4). IEEE Computer Society.
- ^ Drexel Co-op Employers. Drexel University (2006). Retrieved on 2006-03-24.
- ^ a b Business Week Undergrad B-School Rankings. Business Week (March 2007). Retrieved on 2007-03-10.
- ^ Appropriate Technology. Drexel University Catalog (June 1, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ America's Best Colleges 2008:National Universities: Top Schools. U.S. News (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ a b America's Best Colleges 2006:National Universities: Top Schools. U.S. News (September 2006). Retrieved on 2006-07-26.
- ^ [http://chronicle.com/stats/productivity/page.php?year=2006&primary=5&secondary=53&bycat=Go Top Research Universities Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index 2006 Materials Science and Engineering
- ^ 25 Most Connected Campuses. The Princeton Review (January 20, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-03-24.
- ^ Intel's 2nd Annual "Most Unwired College Campuses" Survey, (2005). Intel (November 29, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-03-24.
- ^ Redfern, Heather (2004-01-09). "Recent Drexel Rankings and Milestones". Drexelink (1).
- ^ Drexel University's Best 361 College Rankings (February 22, 2008). Retrieved on 2008-02-22.
- ^ Top 101 Most Incredibly Useful Sites. PC Magazine (October 14, 2003). Retrieved on 2006-06-24.
- ^ 2002 Sci/Tech Web Awards: MATHEMATICS. Scientific American (June 3, 2002). Retrieved on 2007-09-04.
- ^ a b Johnson, Kelly (August 7, 2007). Drexel University considers Sacramento campus. Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.
- ^ About the College of Engineering.. Drexel University (2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
- ^ Queen Lane finishes first year as part of U.. The Triangle (July 23, 2004). Retrieved on 2006-05-20.
- ^ Campos, Art (November 1, 2007). Drexel University eyes Placer. The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
- ^ Johnson, Kelly (August 6, 2007). Drexel University considers Placer County campus. Sacramento Business Journal. Retrieved on 2007-11-05.
- ^ a b c d Student Handbook - University Traditions & Legends. Drexel University (June 5, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-06-29.
- ^ Old Yells and March songs may be found at http://www.library.drexel.edu/archives/pdf/DrexelYellsandSongs.1931-1.pdf
- ^ Enemy Of The State Script - Dialogue Transcript. Script o' Rama. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ Back on Campus. IMDB. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ Drexel Delta Zeta Chapter Wins ABC Campus Invasion Contest. Drexel Daily Digest (March 6, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-11-29.
- ^ Eichel, Larry (September 29, 2007), Drexel campus will be setting for Democratic debate Oct. 30, Philly.com, <http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/10125307.html>. Retrieved on 29 November 2007
- ^ Phila. will host '08 table tennis trials. The Philadelphia Inquirer (August 2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ City of Brotherly Love to Host 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Table Tennis, January 10–13. USA Table Tennis. Retrieved on 2008-01-15.
- ^ Drexel History. Drexel University Archives. Retrieved on 2007-12-14.
- ^ Debate at Drexel: About Drexel University. Drexel University (2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-14.
- ^ LeBow College of Business Alumni Wayne Gattinella and Dominic Caruso Inducted into the Drexel 100. LeBow Alumni News (May 22, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ “The Drexel 100”, Drexel Blue & Gold 17 (1): 24–25, 2006-06-15, <http://www.drexel.edu/univrel/new/alumnimagazine/winter_2006.pdf>. Retrieved on 12 January 2008
[edit] External links
- Drexel University is at coordinates Coordinates:
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