Placing StudentsFirst
 Drexel Link June 2005
President's Message
Drexel has begun a new chapter in its history. StudentsFirst is an initiative aimed at achieving excellence in service to students through development of one of the University’s most important assets – our faculty and staff.
To help us kick-off the StudentsFirst initiative and identify key areas that must be addressed initially, we have organized an advisory group comprised of leaders from across the University.
At its inaugural meeting, the group established that StudentsFirst stands for:
F - First impressions count
I - It starts with me
R - Recognize, respect, respond
S - Succeed through service
T - Take time to communicate
Every Drexel employee — including those without direct student contact — influences the success of our core mission of serving students. From the time students begin to consider attending Drexel through graduation, our faculty and staff are vital to creating a quality educational and living experience. Our employees’ commitment to the University is demonstrated in the way they respect students and respond to their needs.
StudentsFirst is a long-term initiative. Its goal is to alter our University’s culture. StudentsFirst employs many features of highly successful corporate customer service models from industries where a company’s survival depends upon customer satisfaction. The importance of exceptional customer service is a reality in higher education. In an era of rising costs and increased competition it is necessary for colleges and universities to distinguish themselves through their ability to successfully address their students’ needs and expectations, in and out of the classroom. Meeting their needs is central to Drexel’s continued success. Our students are the reason we are here.
At the recent launch celebration, the StudentsFirst concept was presented by Senior Associate Vice President for Human Resources Dr. Phyllis Lewis, who is leading this initiative. Dr. Lewis emphasized the need for enhanced communication throughout the University community. We believe that employee development depends on positive dialogue exchanges between staff and supervisors. To support this effort and to address your concerns and questions, I will be holding “town hall meetings” at various campus locations. The dates and times of these meetings will be posted in the Drexel Daily Digest and online at www.drexel.edu/StudentsFirst. I hope that you will join me. I look forward to your continued support in service to our students.
Constantine Papadakis
President |
