Virtual Listening Circle
Today, Tuesday, June 9, 2020 @3:00PM-4:30PM EDT

DSPH leadership has heard your requests to provide safe spaces to begin unpacking the impact of the recent confluence of awful, deadly events, particularly on Black people and more generally on communities of color. We hope that the planned, small group discussions facilitated by our own Dornsife faculty, will allow us to come together in a safe space to discuss their current state of emotions with the goal of understanding how best the School can help support your emotional well-being in these troubling times. Specifically, the discussion will be framed around the following 3 questions:

(1)   how are you feeling right now in this moment?
(2)   what’s taking up most of your headspace right now?
(3)   what is something that the School can do that would feel supportive?

REGISTER HERE

---

Town Hall: Racial Injustice
Thursday, June 11, 2020 @5:00PM EDT
ZOOM Link

Dornsife School of Public Health invites you to continue the conversation on racial injustice by sharing your ideas, feedback, suggestions, knowledge and resources. The feedback received will be reviewed by the Dornsife administration in an effort to implement and support change in our community.

This feedback will inform the next phase of our strategic initiative on diversity and inclusion. Comments may be addressed at a future town hall event the school hosts.

We ask students to share ideas, feedback, and suggestions through the following survey.  We hope to discuss some of the submissions at this event. The survey will remain live following the event.

Dear Students,

As a follow up to the Dean’s message yesterday, I am writing to remind you of resources available to you. Please remember that Michelle McDermott and I are here to support you in any way we can.

As the Dean noted, faculty have been instructed to be flexible with exams and assignments and to make accommodations that students may need. If you are experiencing a challenge that cannot be resolved with an instructor, please contact me at pnn25@drexel.edu or Michelle McDermott at mcm458@drexel.edu.

If you are in need of psychological assistance, the Counseling Center is available for free, confidential teletherapy via Zoom. Additionally, the ComPsych® GuidanceResources® program is now available to all graduate students and offers 24/7 confidential support, resources and information on a variety of topics.

If you are seeking immediate support with a crisis, the Crisis Textline is free and available 24/7.

If you are seeking non-crisis, peer-to-peer support, the 7 Cups of Tea is an online- and app-based service offered at no cost to Drexel students.

The Counseling Center has also shared a list of resources that may be helpful in processing your thoughts and emotions, as well as advocating for change.

In addition to the services provided by Counseling and Health, you may find additional information about academic, personal, and University resources, both on and off-campus here.

DSPH has begun to put together a website page with additional resources. This page is still under development and will continue to expand as more resources become available.

If at any time you need additional support, would like to share a resource with us, or if you are not sure where you can get the support you need, please do not hesitate to contact me at pnn25@drexel.edu or Michelle McDermott at mcm458@drexel.edu.

Friday, June 5, 2020
12:30PM EDT
Register here

See below for an excerpt from a recent letter published by Office of the President at Drexel University regarding this upcoming discussion:

At times like this, it is imperative that we harness the values of our campus community to insist on change wherever we are, change in our country and change on our campus. As a university community, we can strive for an extra measure of compassion and understanding as we move forward to action. We can take the time to listen to one another, to have hard conversations about racism, to confront uncomfortable truths about ideologies of white supremacy, and to use what we learn to create an anti-racist campus free from intolerance and hatred. These dialogues are a first step to create a more equitable community as an ongoing aspiration for our University.

On Friday, June 5, at 12:30 p.m., we are opening up a space for dialogue about racism and the difficult path forward to become active allies in the fight against racism. We hope you will join this dialogue and let us know your plan to attend this inaugural virtual conversation by responding at this online link.

To read the full text of this letter, please click here.

Please see messaging from the Interim Nina Henderson Provost below regarding the extension of the Pass/ No Pass deadline:

Dear Drexel Students, Faculty and Staff, 

To say this has been a challenging time would be a severe understatement — the COVID-19 pandemic and the inequity it has laid bare; the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and so many more; the peaceful protests and civil unrest that have followed in our city and across the world. While this has been stressful for all of us, what this moment has also clearly highlighted is the higher level of stress our Black students, colleagues and friends confront, not only now, but in the course of their everyday lives. 

I am thankful to the numerous students who have reached out to me this week to share their personal experiences and to offer suggestions on how we might offer support and flexibility. In response to those requests, we are extending the deadline for selecting the Pass/No Pass grade option for courses to 11:59pm on June 13. Our hope is that this will help to reduce unnecessary stress by allowing students to take their finals before making this decision. For more guidance on choosing Pass/No Pass, please visit the FAQ and talk with your academic advisors. 

We are also committed to making every reasonable effort to accommodate our students during this time. I once again remind all to be empathetic, flexible and understanding. Students needing accommodations should feel comfortable reaching out to their faculty and advisors for support. 

Thank you again to all who have reached out. Be well, stay safe and take care of each other. 

Paul E. Jensen 
Interim Nina Henderson Provost 
University Professor

The following message is being shared on behalf of the DSPH Student Government Organization:

The public health crisis that is police brutality can not continue to exist and it is our duty to combat it. Drexel students are welcome to join a zoom call tonight to come up with our action plan. The link will open at 5pm and will stay open until it seems appropriate to close. Please do not feel obligated to participate, we understand that energy is spread very thin at these times but we are welcoming all to join and/or share the link!

Join the meeting.