Drexel University

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{{Infobox_University |name= Drexel University |image=Image:Drexel seal.jpg |motto= Science, Industry, Art |established=1891| type=Private| president=Constantine Papadakis| city=Philadelphia| state=Pennsylvania| country=USA| undergrad=11,613| endowment=500 Million | postgrad=5,387| staff=1,308| campus=Urban| colors=Blue and Gold| free_label=Athletics| free=16 varsity teams, 20 sports clubs| mascot=Dragon, "Mario the Magnificent"| website=http://www.drexel.edu| footnotes= | }} Drexel University is an institution of higher learning 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.

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History

Image:Drexel Main Building.jpg 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. The Drexel Institute of Technology gained university status in 1970, becoming Drexel University. On July 1, 2002, Drexel was officially united with the former MCP Hahnemann University. Drexel has also recently begun work on a new Law School, which will open in the autumn of 2006.

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Academics

Image:Mariothedragon.jpg Drexel University is known for its engineering school, which includes The Drexel Engineering Curriculum, or "tDEC" for short. tDEC is a rigorous series of online and offline courses designed to prepare students for future engineering work. Each year more than one percent of the graduating engineers in the United States get their degree from Drexel.Template:Fact

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Colleges

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Schools

  • School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems
  • School of Education
  • School of Public Health
  • School of Information Science and Technology
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Most popular majors<ref> Drexel University Factbook, http://www.drexel.edu/provost/ir/factbook/ </ref>

  • Business Administration: 2,187 enrolled
  • General Information Systems: 650
  • Mechanical Engineering: 600
  • Computer Science: 537
  • Biology: 385
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Branch campuses

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

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Co-op program

Image:Drexel-logo.gif Branded as the Ultimate Internship™, Drexel's cooperative education program is one of the largest in the nation. Drexel has a fully internet-based job database, where users can submit resumes and request interviews with any of the hundreds of companies that are offering positions. A student graduating from Drexel with a 5-year degree typically has a total of 18 months of internship with up to three different companies. Major co-op employers include<ref> "Drexel Co-op Employers", Drexel University Undergraduate Admissions. Last Accessed on March 24, 2006. </ref>:

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Drexel Art

Drexel maintains three art galleries on its main campus.

The Drexel Collection is housed in the Westphal Picture Gallery, on the third floor of the Main Building. The collection was established by the university's founder, Anthony J. Drexel, who collected many types of art. The collection continued to receive donations after his death from family, friends, and alumni. The collection has a large variety of artifacts, including porcelains and furniture.

The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery is an aluminum and slate structure connected to Nesbitt Hall (the building for the College of Media Arts and Design) in which art exhibitions are frequently held. The slate side of the building is frequently covered with chalk messages about upcoming events.

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Residence Halls

Drexel requires all non-commuting freshmen to live in one of the six (soon to be seven) freshmen residence halls. Kelly Hall, Myers Hall, Towers Hall, and Calhoun are traditional dormitories, while East Hall and Van Rensselaer are arranged into suites of 4-6 residents. East Hall and Van R. are currently designated 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 area of Philadelphia known as Powelton Village. Drexel's continued efforts to expand the university and the dormitories have brought them into conflict with the Powelton Village Civic Association, which has attempted to block university projects on several occasions.Template:Fact

For upperclassmen, North Hall is the only on-campus housing available. Most students find apartments within Powelton Village. Academic Properties Inc., a subsidiary of Drexel, offers apartments, and there are also apartments in the nearby University Crossings building, which was previously owned by Conrail and used as an office building.

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Drexel Achievement

Drexel has been ranked among the "Best National Universities-Top Schools" by a U.S. News & World yearly report on "America's Best Colleges".Template:Fact The 2006 rankings placed Drexel as 109th.<ref> U.S. News and World Report. America's Best Colleges--2006 edition (September 2005). </ref> 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<ref> "25 Most Connected Campuses", The Princeton Review. (Jan 20, 2006) Last Accessed on March 24, 2006. </ref> and The Intel Corporation<ref> "Most Unwired Campuses", Intel's 2nd Annual "Most Unwired College Campuses" Survey, (2005). Last Accessed on March 24, 2006. </ref>, and was ranked first for wireless access by Yahoo!.Template:Fact

The Math Forum@Drexel has been selected as one of the most useful websites by PC Magazine<ref> "The Math Forum @ Drexel", "Top 101 Most Incredibly Useful Sites", PC Magazine. (October 14, 2003). Last Accessed on March 24, 2006.</ref> and Scientific AmericanTemplate:Fact.

The universities endowment is currently over $500 million, placing it 108th among all U.S. colleges and Universities.<ref> The Chronicle of Higher Education (2002-2003) </ref>

Drexel is the 18th largest private university in the U.S., with an enrollment of 17,500 students.<ref> National Center for Educational Statistics (2001-2002) </ref>

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Student Newspaper

Image:Trianglelogo.jpg

The Triangle is the independent student newspaper at Drexel University. Operation began in 1926, under the direction of students with University advisors functioning only to offer advice. Publication has been on a weekly schedule during the academic school year with bi-weekly publication during summer. The Triangle recently began publishing in color in 2004. Notable former columnists include Chuck Barris, creator of The Gong Show and subject of the movie Confessions of a Dangerous Mind.

The current Editor-in-chief is Kaushal Toprani.

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Sports

Image:Drexel.png The school's sports teams are called the Dragons. They participate in the NCAA's Division I-A and the Colonial Athletic Association. Drexel participates in the following sports:

Men's:

Women's:

  • Basketball
  • Crew
  • Field Hockey
  • Lacrosse
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Swimming and Diving
  • Tennis

More information about Drexel sports can be found at DrexelDragons.com.

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Student lore and traditions

Image:Shaft color.jpg 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 smokestack structure on the rail yard next to the campus, and according to university legend the structure grows one more inch every time a student is shafted.

To receive good grades on exams, a myth is to rub the toe of the bronze "Waterboy" statue located in the Main Building on campus. Although the rest of the bronze statue has turned dark brown, the toe has become highly polished and shines.

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Trivia

  • Drexel has been ranked 2nd under the category of "Campus Is Tiny, Unsightly, Or Both" in the 2005 Princeton Review.Template:Fact It is presently in the middle of several renovations to rectify this situation.
  • A feature of the main quad is a water fountain bearing the ironic name "The Flame of Knowledge".
  • Drexel University is the location of ABC Family's popular reality show "Back on Campus."
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Notable alumni

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References

<references/>

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External links

Template:Colonial Athletic Association

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