On behalf of the entire Drexel University community, best wishes for a happy and healthy new year. This month, in addition to celebrating the beginning of another year, on January 10-12 we welcome the parents and families of our undergraduates to campus for Family Weekend. My thanks to Senior Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Dianna Dale and the Office of Student Life staff for planning many exciting events.

Not only does this weekend allow families and their students to spend time together exploring Philadelphia and participating in University activities, it also gives family members the opportunity to see how Drexel is preparing their children for successful careers.

When Drexel students graduate, they have had significant professional experience because of the University’s co-op program. One of the nation’s oldest, largest and most successful, Drexel co-op allows students to develop skills they learn in the classroom while working for more than 1,500 employer organizations in 39 states and 11 countries.

In addition to preparing students for prosperous careers with in-field training, Drexel’s historic commitment to technology means that our students have access to advanced facilities and learning tools not available at most other academic institutions. These capabilities enable our students to develop research and technological skills necessary for the ever-evolving workplace. Drexel was the first major university to operate a fully wireless campus and in June 2002, the University launched DrexelOne Mobile, the first wireless Web portal service for students. And the WebCT course management system allows students to take courses, get assignments and other class information and manage their work online.

Drexel’s technology is also changing the way in which students prepare for classes. Our libraries provide our students with access to approximately 20,000 newspapers, journals, books, encyclopedias and dictionaries electronically. Students in the College of Nursing and Health Professions’ Accelerated Career Entry (ACE) Bachelor of Science in Nursing program use Palm Pilots for downloading course- and patient-related data, making ACE the first undergraduate program of its kind where students utilize hand-held devices in this manner.

The University also teaches our students good citizenship and the importance of giving back to the community through our Service Learning Program. In the spring term, our 2,100 freshmen will visit more than 100 Philadelphia elementary schools to teach nearly 50,000 children in grades K-7. This is the nation’s largest collaboration between a university and a public school system.

As you visit with your students on Family Weekend, you will see how Drexel is making a difference in shaping their future to be the leaders of tomorrow.

C.R. "Chuck" Pennoni Interim President